ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING - Uralla Shire · 2019-02-25 · Reference: 2.20.09.03 Subject:...

URALLA SHIRE COUNCIL BUSINESS PAPER

Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provision of the Local Government Act 1993

that a Meeting of Uralla Shire Council will be held in the Council Chambers,

32 Salisbury Street, Uralla, commencing at 1:00pm.

ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING

25 OCTOBER 2016

Andrew Hopkins

GENERAL MANAGER

U r a l l a S h i r e C o u n c i l – O r d i n a r y C o u n c i l

1. AGENDA .......................................................................................................................................... 3

2. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ......................................................................................................... 4

3. TABLING OF REPORTS & PETITIONS ................................................................................................ 5

4. URGENT SUPPLEMENTARY & LATE ITEMS OF BUSINESS ................................................................ 5

5. WRITTEN REPORTS FROM DELEGATES ........................................................................................... 5

6. PRESENTATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 6

7. DEPUTATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 6

8. MAYORAL MINUTE .......................................................................................................................... 6

9. REPORTS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER ..................................................................................... 7

10. CORPORATE & COMMUNITY REPORTS ....................................................................................... 8

11. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE REPORTS ............................................. 21

12. MOTIONS ON NOTICE ............................................................................................................... 45

13. SCHEDULE OF COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS ..................................................................................... 45

14. CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS .......................................................................................................... 46

15. AUTHORITY TO AFFIX THE COMMON SEAL .............................................................................. 51

Council Business Paper 25 October 2016

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1. AGENDA

Ordinary Meeting of Council, 25 October 2016 at 1:00pm

1. Opening & Welcome

2. Prayer

3. Acknowledgement of Country

4. Apologies/Requests for Leave of Absence

5. Disclosures & Declaration of Interests

6. Confirmation of Minutes of Previous Meeting

7. Announcements

8. Tabling of Reports & Petitions

9. Presentations

10. Deputations

11. Urgent Supplementary & Late Items of Business

12. Written Reports from Delegates

13. Mayoral Minute

14. Recommendations for Items to be Considered in Confidential Section Item 1 - General Managers Performance Review Panel

15. Reports from the General Manager

16. Corporate & Community Reports

1.25.10.1 Cash at Bank and Investments

1.25.10.02 Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Councillors

1.25.10.03 Visitor Information Centre - Survey

17. Environment, Development & Infrastructure Reports

2.25.10.01 Development Approvals and Refusals for September 2016

2.25.10.02 Works Progress Report as at 30 September 2016

2.25.10.03 Heritage Advisory Services Summary – October 2016

2.25.10.04 Nomination of members to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel

2.25.10.05 State of Environment Report

2.25.10.06 Bundarra Sewerage Scheme

2.25.10.07 Industrial Land Purchase

18. Motions on Notice

19. Schedule of Actions – As at 19/10/2016

20. Confidential Business

Item 1 General Managers Performance Review Panel

Item 2 Kamilaroi Ageing and Disability Services (KADS)

21. Authority to Affix the Common Seal

22. Meeting Close

www.uralla.nsw.gov.au


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2. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

Minutes to be confirmed or received and noted at Council Meeting held on 25 October 2016

Council Meeting held 27 September 2016


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ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL

Held at 1:00pm On 27 September 2016

ROLL CALL

Councillors:

Cr M Pearce (Mayor)

Cr R Bell

Cr B Crouch

Cr M Dusting

Cr N Ledger

Cr L Sampson

Cr I Strutt

Cr T Toomey

Cr K Ward

Staff:

Mr A Hopkins, General Manager

Mr R Lloyd, Acting Director-Infrastructure & Regulation

Mrs R Leahy, Governance and Information Manager

Mr S Paul, Chief Financial Officer

Mrs D Williams, Minute Clerk

M I

N U

T E

S


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Minutes of the Uralla Shire Council at an Ordinary Meeting

held at 1:00pm on 27 September 2016

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This is Page 2 of the Minutes of Uralla Shire Council at an Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 27 September 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATTENDANCE .................................................................................................................................................................... 3

OPENING & WELCOME ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

PRAYER .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO COUNTRY ............................................................................................................................. 3

APOLOGIES ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3

ADVICE OF LATE ARRIVALS ............................................................................................................................................ 3

REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE ........................................................................................................................... 3

DISCLOSURES & DECLARATION OF INTERESTS ......................................................................................................... 3

1. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING .................................................................................. 3

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 3

3. TABLING OF REPORTS & PETITIONS ................................................................................................................ 4

4. PRESENTATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 4

5. DEPUTATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

6. URGENT SUPPLEMENTARY & LATE ITEMS OF BUSINESS .......................................................................... 11

7. COUNCILLOR REPORTS & WRITTEN REPORTS FROM DELEGATES .......................................................... 11

8. MAYORAL MINUTE ............................................................................................................................................. 13

9. REPORTS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER ................................................................................................... 13

10. REPORTS FROM THE CORPORATE & COMMUNITY COMMITTEE ............................................................... 17

11. REPORTS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.................... 18

12. MOTIONS ON NOTICE ........................................................................................................................................ 19

13. SCHEDULE OF ACTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 20

14. CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS ................................................................................................................................ 20

15. AUTHORITY TO AFFIX THE COMMON SEAL ................................................................................................... 20

16. CLOSURE OF MEETING ..................................................................................................................................... 20


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The Meeting Commenced at: 1:02pm

ATTENDANCE

Present were the Chairperson Cr M Pearce (Mayor), and Councillors, R Bell, B Crouch, M Dusting, N Ledger, L Sampson, I Strutt, T Toomey, K Ward, General Manager (Mr A Hopkins), Acting Director-Infrastructure & Regulation (Mr R Lloyd), Chief Financial Officer (Mr S Paul), Manager Governance & Information (Mrs R Leahy), Manager of Planning (Mr K Bock), Planning Contractor (Ms E Cummings), Minute Clerk (Mrs D Williams).

OPENING & WELCOME

PRAYER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO COUNTRY

APOLOGIES There were no Apologies declared.

ADVICE OF LATE ARRIVALS There were no Late Arrivals advised. REQUESTS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE There were no requests for Leave of Absence received. DISCLOSURES & DECLARATION OF INTERESTS At request of the Chair, the Minute Clerk tabled details of the pecuniary and non-pecuniary

Conflict of Interest Declarations received in relation to the 27 September 2016 meeting.

Submitted By: Interest Declared:

Cr T Toomey

Pecuniary interest in Report 1.20.09.02, In – Kind Request for Assistance – Pop-Up Cinema November 2016, as the event organiser – Director of Seasons of New England Pty Ltd

1. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING Ordinary Meeting of 22 August 2016 1.09/16 MOVED/ CARRIED (B Crouch/ I Strutt) That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 22 August 2016 (copies have been circulated to

Members) be adopted as a true and correct record of proceedings. Extraordinary Meeting of 2 September 2016 2.09/16 MOVED/ CARRIED (B Crouch/ I Strutt) That the Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 2 September 2016 (copies have been

circulated to Members) be adopted as a true and correct record of proceedings. 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS

There were no announcements.


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3. TABLING OF REPORTS & PETITIONS There were no reports or petitions tabled.

4. PRESENTATIONS There were no presentations to Council. 5. DEPUTATIONS

1. Mr Sean Doodson New England Surveying The Speaker delivered a presentation on the subject of Report # 2.20.09.03 13 Stringybark

Ridge Road - Subdivision

The Chair thanked Mr Doodson for his Presentation to Council. Procedural Motion

3.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/I Strutt) Motion to break from the agenda and hear Report 2.20.09.03 following on from Mr Doodson’s

deputation to Council. Department: Infrastructure & Regulation

Submitted by: Consultant Town Planner Reference: 2.20.09.03 Subject: Development Application 8-2016-2 Modification – 13 Stringybark Ridge Road, Invergowrie - Subdivision

4.09/16 Moved to Committee of the Whole (M Dusting/K Ward) 5.09/16 Motion to Resume Standing Orders (M Dusting/ B Crouch) 6.09/16 MOVED (R Bell/L Sampson) DIVISION DECISION

For: N Ledger, L Sampson, M Dusting, T Toomey, R Bell, I Strutt, M Pearce Against: B Crouch, K Ward Absent: Nil OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Development Application 8-2016-2 being for a staged development consisting of: a) Stage 1A – Boundary Adjustment, b) Stage 1 – 3 Large Lot Residential Subdivision, and c) Stage 2 – 2 Large Lot Residential Subdivision located on Lot 212 DP 1080856 known as 13 Stringybark Ridge Road, Invergowrie be approved subject to the conditions listed in the report and including the modification to Condition 17 and 19, as listed in the memo released to Councillors and dated 22 September 2016. The approved conditions are as follows :


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PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS (under Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000)

Nil

GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. Modified

The development must take place in accordance with the approved plans (bearing the Council approval stamp) and documents submitted with the application, drawn by New England Surveying and Engineering, numbered 20150705, Revision D, and dated 20/05/2016, and subject to the conditions below to ensure the development is consistent with Council's consent.

The development must take place in accordance with the approved plans (bearing the Council approval stamp) and documents submitted with the application, drawn by New England Surveying and Engineering, numbered 20150705, Revision F, and dated 26 July 2016, and subject to the conditions below to ensure the development is consistent with Council's consent.

2. All Engineering works to be designed by an appropriately qualified person and carried out in accordance with Council’s Engineering Code, unless otherwise indicated in this consent, to ensure that these works are of a sustainable and safe standard.

3. Prior to the issue of a Subdivision Certificate the applicants shall provide written advice from telecommunications and electricity providers, confirming that satisfactory arrangements have been made for the provision of a telecommunications and electricity services.

4. Prior to the issue of a Subdivision Certificate, an Application for a Subdivision Certificate is to be submitted to Council with three (3) copies of the Title Plan and appropriate fees. The applicant/developer is to ensure that a summary of compliance with all conditions of consent is completed and lodged with the application.

5. Prior to the issue of a Subdivision Certificate, the applicants shall provide evidence to the effect that all utility services, i.e. water, sewer, electricity, telecommunications, connected to or used in each of the buildings within the development site is wholly contained within each of the proposed allotments. That is, no internal servicing of the sites is permitted to be wholly or partially on the adjoining allotment.

6. Modified

Each new driveway is to display rural addressing number. The rural address number for each lot will be Lot 1 – 17, Lot 2 – 15, Lot 3 – 13 and Lot 4 – 19). The current fee for the 2015/2016 year is $64.00 per number, which includes installation.

Each new driveway is to display rural addressing number. The rural address number for each lot will be Lot 101 – 17 Stringybark Ridge Road, Lot 2 – 23 Rocklea Road, Lot 3 – 25 Rocklea Road and Lot 4 – 19 Stringybark Ridge Road). The current fee for the 2016/2017 year is $66.00 per number, which includes installation.


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7. A section 88b instrument is to be prepared under the Conveyancing Act 1919 to state that:

a) The wastewater treated on lots 2, 3 and 4 are to be treated to a secondary standard using an aerated wastewater treatment system or similar. The selected wastewater treatment system is to be fitted with a chlorination chamber or ultraviolet steriliser to provide disinfection of effluent prior to irrigation. A minimum land application area of 360m2 is required for each system with additional reserve areas being dedicated for future expansion if necessary.

b) All future clearing is only to occur in the designated development areas.

c) Any mature trees that fall within are to be retained where possible.

d) All ‘soft felled’ trees must be left for a minimum of 2 nights prior to being moved to a stockpile, to allow for resident fauna to vacate tree hollows.

e) A copy of the flora and fauna assessment undertaken by Bushfire Safe (Aust) P/L dated December 2015 is to be provided to all future owners to alert them of the presence and ecological value of the Critically Endangered Box-Gum-Woodlands Ecological Community known as the White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland, thus encouraging them to recognise the biodiversity as an asset to be protected.

INTEGRATED GENERAL TERMS OF APPROVAL AS PART OF THIS CONSENT

These conditions are in accordance with Section 91 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 and are issued by the NSW Rural Fire Service.

8. Modified

The development proposal is to comply with the subdivision layout identified on the drawing prepared by New England Surveying & Engineering numbered 20150705 (Rev. C), dated 28 January 2016, except as modified by the following conditions:

The development proposal is to comply with the subdivision layout identified on the drawing prepared by New England Surveying & Engineering numbered 20150705 (Rev. F), dated 26 July 2016, except as modified by the following conditions:

Asset Protection Zone

The intent of measures is to minimize the risk of bush fire attack and provide protection for emergency services personnel, residents and others assisting fire fighting activities. To achieve this, the following condition shall apply:

9. At the issue of subdivision certificate and in perpetuity, the land surrounding the existing dwelling on proposed Lot 1, to a distance of 29 metres to the north and west, and 35 metres to the south and east, shall be maintained as an inner protection area (IPA) as outlined within section 4.1.3 and Appendix 5 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’ and the NSW Rural Fire Service’s document ‘Standards for asset protection zones’.

Further this condition has been added to by Uralla Shire Council in that:

A restriction to the land use pursuant to section 88B of the Conveyancing Act 1919 shall be placed on each lot to ensure perpetuity.

Water and Utilities

The intent of measures is to provide adequate services of water for the protection of buildings during and after the passage of a bush fire, and to locate gas and electricity so as not to contribute to the


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risk of fire to a building. To achieve this, the following conditions shall apply:

10. A 20,000 litre fire fighting water supply shall be provided for the existing dwelling on proposed Lot 1 in accordance with section 4.1.3 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

11. Any alteration to the electricity supply network required to service the subdivision shall comply with section 4.1.3 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

12. Any gas service at the existing dwelling shall comply with section 4.1.3 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

Access

The intent of measures for property access is to provide safe access to/from the public road system for fire fighters providing property protection during a bush fire and for occupants faced with evacuation. To achieve this, the following conditions shall apply:

13. Modified

Property access roads shall comply with section 4.1.3(2) of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

Property access roads shall comply with section 4.1.3(2) of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’, except that an alternative access is not required for proposed Lots 2 and 3.

14. Deleted

A restriction to the land use pursuant to section 88B of the ‘Conveyancing Act 1919’ shall be placed over the proposed fire trail shown on the plan prepared by Bushfire Safe (Aust) numbered 15078, dated November 2015. The fire trail shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with section 4.1.3(3) of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

Design and Construction

The intent of measures is that buildings are designed and constructed to withstand the potential impacts of bush fire attack. To achieve this, the following conditions shall apply:

15. The existing dwelling on proposed Lot 1 is required to be upgraded to improve ember protection. This is to be achieved by enclosing all openings (excluding roof tile spaces) or covering openings with a non-corrosive metal screen mesh with a maximum aperture of 2mm. Where applicable, this includes any sub floor areas, openable windows, vents, weep holes and eaves. External doors are to be fitted with draft excluders.

16. Roofing of the existing dwelling on proposed Lot 1 shall be gutterless or guttering and valleys are to be screened to prevent the build up of flammable material. Any materials used shall be non-combustible.


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Stage One Only

CONDITIONS TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO ISSUE OF SUBDIVISION CERTIFICATE

17. Modified

The access to the residue Lot 1 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Stringybark Ridge Road to within 5 metres of the edge of the asset protection zone in order to prevent dust. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.

The access to the residue Lot 100 and 101 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Stringybark Ridge Road to the property boundary. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.

18. Modified

The joint access to Lots 2 and 3 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Stringybark Ridge Road for the full length of the right of carriageway up to 5 metres from the edge of the asset protection zone for each lot to prevent dust. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.

The joint access to Lots 2 and 3 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Rocklea Road for the full length of the reciprocal right of carriageway and along the internal access for Lot 3 for the full length of the boundary to Lot 3 DP 1028033 to prevent dust. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.

19. Modified

Vegetation screening is to be planted associated in the plan by New England Surveying and Engineering dated 20 May 2016. This vegetation screening is to be maintained for a two year period to ensure establishment.

Vegetation screening is to be planted as shown in the plan by New England Surveying and Engineering dated 26 July 2016 with the plantings to be extended to the eastern most point of Lot 3 DP 1028033. This vegetation screening is to be maintained for a two year period to ensure establishment.

20. A Section 88B Instrument is to be submitted with the application for a subdivision certificate. The final plan of subdivision and accompanying Section 88B Instrument are to provide for the following items listed:

a) Easement to supply electricity for future infrastructure as required (width as directed by Essential Energy)

b) Reciprocal Right of Carriageway, 5 metre wide (over access handle to jointly benefit proposed Lots 2 and 3)

c) Details of maintenance responsibilities and any future upgrading of the reciprocal right of carriageway.


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21. Modified

To enable emergency services to identify each property, a separate rural address numbering post is to be erected at the branch of the right of carriageway, identifying each lot. The current fee for the 2015/2016 year is $64.00, which includes installation.

To enable emergency services to identify each property, a separate rural address numbering post is to be erected at the branch of the reciprocal right of carriageway, identifying lot 2 and 3. The current fee for the 2015/2016 year is $66.00, which includes installation.

22. Modified

Prior to the issue of a Subdivision Certificate the applicants shall pay to Council contribution toward public amenities and services for which Council is satisfied that the proposed development is likely to create a demand (as detailed in the attached schedule) is to be made (or secured by bank guarantee) prior to the issue of the Construction/Subdivision Certificate. Such charges are listed below and are subject to CPI increases if not paid in the year of issue of this consent.

The Section 94 Contribution is currently $3,489.00 for each applicable lot. This is applicable for Lots 2 and 3.

The Section 94 Contribution is currently $3,539.00 in the 2016/17 financial year for each applicable lot. This is applicable for Lots 2 and 3.


a) Any future dwelling to be constructed on lots 2 and 3 are to be constructed to a BAL 12.5 construction standard and comply with sections 3 and 5 as outlined within Australian Standard AS 3959 (2009) Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas (Standards Australia, 2009).

b) A minimum of 20,000ltr water tank is to be installed as an additional static water supply to be used for fire fighting purposes at the time of construction of any future dwelling on lot 2 and 3.

c) Any gas service for future dwellings on lots 2 & 3 shall comply with section 4.1.3 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

Stage Two Only

CONDITIONS TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO ISSUE OF SUBDIVISION CERTIFICATE

24. Modified

The access to lot 4 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts, with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Stringybark Ridge Road to the edge of the building envelope to reduce dust on Lot 1. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.

The access to lot 4 is to be constructed including all necessary concrete culverts, with headwalls, and a bitumen seal from Stringybark Ridge Road to the boundary line to reduce dust on Lot 1. This is to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation and is at the expense of the developer.


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25. Modified

Prior to the issue of a Subdivision Certificate the applicants shall pay to Council contribution toward public amenities and services for which Council is satisfied that the proposed development is likely to create a demand (as detailed in the attached schedule) is to be made (or secured by bank guarantee) prior to the issue of the Construction/Subdivision Certificate. Such charges are listed below and are subject to CPI increases if not paid in the year of issue of this consent.

The Section 94 Contribution is currently $3,489.00 for each applicable lot. The applicable lot is Lot 4.

The Section 94 Contribution is currently $3,539.00 in the 2016/17 financial year for each applicable lot. The applicable lot is Lot 4.

26. A Property Vegetation Plan be prepared for the significant Critically Endangered Box-Gum-Woodlands Ecological Community known as the White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland on Lot 4.


a) Any future dwelling to be constructed on lot 4 are to be constructed to a BAL 29 construction standard and comply with sections 3 and 7 as outlined within Australian Standard AS 3959 (2009) Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas (Standards Australia, 2009).

b) A minimum of 20,000ltr water tank is to be installed as an additional static water supply to be used for fire fighting purposes at the time of construction of any future dwelling on lot 4.

c) Any gas service for future dwellings on lot 4 shall comply with section 4.1.3 of ‘Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006’.

OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION:

That Development Application 8-2016-2 being for a staged development consisting of:

a) Stage 1A – Boundary Adjustment,

b) Stage 1 – 3 Large Lot Residential Subdivision, and

c) Stage 2 – 2 Large Lot Residential Subdivision

located on Lot 212 DP 1080856 known as 13 Stringybark Ridge Road, Invergowrie be approved subject to the following conditions listed in the report to Council.

Procedural Motion 7.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/ M Dusting) Motion to resume standing orders and return to Item 6 on the agenda.


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6. URGENT SUPPLEMENTARY & LATE ITEMS OF BUSINESS Department: Organisational Services – Finance

Submitted by: Simon Paul – Chief Financial Officer Reference: Item 1 Subject: Transfer of land associated with the sale of land for unpaid rates

Procedural Motion

8.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/ M Dusting) Motion to hear the above report at Item 15 on the agenda, Authority to Affix the Common Seal. 7. COUNCILLOR REPORTS & WRITTEN REPORTS FROM DELEGATES

WRITTEN REPORTS FROM DELEGATES Councillors in turn provided a brief verbal summary of their Council related activities during the

reporting period and submitted written Delegate Reports comprising details as follows:-

Councillor Activity Date: Activity Detail:

Cr N Ledger No report submitted

Cr L Sampson No report submitted

Cr B Crouch 2 Sept Extraordinary Council Meeting, USC 27 Sept Council Meeting, USC

Cr M Dusting 30 Aug New England Weed’s Authority, Armidale 31 Aug Job’s Australia Board, Armidale 2 Sept Extraordinary Council Meeting, USC 7 Sept Australia Day Committee, Uralla 21 Sept Councillor Induction, USC

Cr T Toomey No report submitted

Cr R Bell No report submitted

Cr K Ward 21 Sept Councillor Induction, USC 27 Sept Council Meeting, USC

Cr I Strutt 2 Sept Extraordinary Council Meeting, USC 21 Sept Councillor Induction, USC 27 Sept Council Meeting, USC


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DELEGATE REPORTS (continued) Councillor Activity Date: Activity Detail:

Cr M Pearce 23 Aug Administration, Mayor’s Office 24 Aug Administration and 2AD Radio Interview 25 Aug Administration, Mayor’s Office 1 Sept Namoi Council Meeting, USC 2 Sept Extraordinary Council Meeting, USC 6 Sept Meet/greet NSW Parliament, Community Services Committee, Uralla 15 Sept Electoral Commission – Declaration of Mayor, Tamworth 19 Sept Administration, Mayor’s Office 20 Sept Administration, Mayor’s Office 21 Sept Administration and 2AD Radio Interview 22 Sept Administration, Mayor’s Office 24 Sept Driver Reviver Car Boot Markets, Uralla 26 Sept Administration, Mayor’s Office 27 Sept Administration, Mayor’s Office September Council Meeting, USC


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8. MAYORAL MINUTE There was no mayoral minute. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED IN CONFIDENTIAL

SECTION There were no items to be considered for confidential business.

9. REPORTS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER Department: General Manager

Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 1 Subject: ‘Hit the Ground Running’ Councillor Workshops.

9.09/16 MOVED (K Ward/ B Crouch)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That the report on the ‘Hit the Ground Running’ Councillor Workshops be received and noted and that Councillors attend the workshop in Tamworth on the 27 October 2016. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the report on the ‘Hit the Ground Running’ Councillor Workshops be received and noted.

Department: General Managers Office

Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 2 Subject: Election of Mayor (4 year term) – 2016 to 2020

10.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/ B Crouch)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council note the election of the Mayor, Mr Michael Pearce. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council note the election of the Mayor, Mr Michael Pearce.


Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 3 Subject: Election of Deputy Mayor – 2016


That the General Manager, as Returning Officer, call for nominations for the election of Deputy Mayor and Council determine the form of ballot to be used if so required, and; That the Council determine the term of the Deputy Mayor as stated in s231(2) as either the mayoral term (4 years – popularly elected) or a shorter term.


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11.09/16 Move to Committee of the Whole (M Dusting/K Ward) 12.09/16 Motion to Resume Standing Orders (B Crouch/ M Dusting)

13.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/ I Strutt )

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: Council has determined the term of the Deputy Mayor to be for a period of either one or two years, being determined by a show of hands. (1 year – 6 votes) Therefore, the term of Deputy Mayor will be for a period of one year.

14.09/16 MOVED (R Bell/M Dusting) That the General Manager, as Returning Officer, call for nominations for the election of Deputy

Mayor and Council determine the form of ballot to be used if so required. Councillors unanimously determined that the type of ballot to be used is preferential. Nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor are: Cr R Bell Cr N Ledger Cr I Strutt All nominees accepted their nominations.

15.09/16 Move to Committee of the Whole (B Crouch/M Dusting) 16.09/16 Motion to Resume Standing Orders (B Crouch/ M Dusting)

The vote was conducted; the General Manager and Manager of Governance and Information

counted the votes and announced that Cr R Bell was the successful candidate.

17.09/16 MOVED ( R Bell/ I Strutt) Motion that the nominations and voting papers received by candidates remain secret and that the papers be destroyed.


Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 4 Subject: Council and Committee Meetings – 2016/17 Annual Schedule

18.09/16 Move to Committee of the Whole (I Strutt/B Crouch) 19.09/16 Motion to Resume Standing Orders (I Strutt/M Dusting)

20.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/M Dusting)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That: 1. Council meetings be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month commencing at 1pm,

with the exception of December 2016 which will be held on the third Tuesday of the month.

2. That Strategic Planning Workshops be held on the second Tuesday of the month commencing at 10:00am

3. Ordinary Council Meetings and Strategic Planning Workshops be held in each month of the calendar year with the exception of January.

4. If any Council Meeting or Strategic Planning Workshop date falls on a public holiday then the meeting will be scheduled for the following day.


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OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That: 1. Council meetings be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month commencing at 1pm,

with the exception of December 2016 which will be held on the third Tuesday of the month.

2. Standing Committee meetings be held on the third Tuesday of the month as detailed below, with the exception of December 2016 which will be held on the second Tuesday of the Month:

• Corporate & Community Committee – third Tuesday of the month from 4.00pm; and • Environment, Development & Infrastructure Committee – third Tuesday of the month from 5.30pm.

3. Ordinary Council and Standing Committee meetings be held in each month of the calendar year with the exception of January.

4. If any Council or Committee Meeting date falls on a public holiday then the meeting will be scheduled for the following day.


Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 5 Subject: Standing, External, Specific Purpose and Consultative Panel Delegates 2016/17

21.09/16 Move to Committee of the Whole (M Dusting/ I Strutt) 22.09/16 Motion to Resume Standing Orders (I Strutt/ B Crouch) 23.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/M Dusting)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: 1.That Council determined the representation as listed below:

REPRESENTATION DELEGATE/S 2016-17

SPECIFIC PURPOSE COMMITTEES

1. Audit & Risk Committee Mayor + one (1) councillor M Pearce, B Crouch

2. Community Grants Panel Three (3) councillors R Bell, K Ward, T Toomey

3. Australia Day Committee Two (2) councillors N Ledger, L Sampson

EXTERNAL BOARDS, COMMITTEES & ORGANISATION

1. Country Mayor’s Association Mayor M Pearce

2. Central Northern Regional Library

One (1) councillor M Dusting

3. Namoi Councils Mayor M Pearce, R Bell (alternate)

4. New England Weeds Authority One (1) councillor M Dusting

5. Northern Inland Regional Waste One (1) councillor M Pearce

6. Mid North Weight of Loads One (1) councillor R Bell

7. Local Traffic Committee One (1) councillor M Pearce, N Ledger (alternate)

8. District Emergency Management Committee

Mayor M Pearce, R Bell (alternate)

9. New England Bushfire Management Committee

One (1) councillor M Pearce

10. New England Group of Councils Mayor M Pearce, R Bell (alternate)

11. Community Safety Precinct Committee

Mayor M Pearce

12. Jobs Australia One (1) councillor N Ledger

PROGRESS ASSOCIATIONS

1. Bundarra Progress Association One (1) councillor B Crouch, M Dusting (alternate)


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2. Council determine the future of the Strategic Community Consultative Panels at the first available strategic planning workshop. Cr L Sampson was absent from the room for the vote. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council determine the representation on the standing committees, external bodies, specific purpose committees and community consultative panels listed in this report.

Comfort Adjournment

24.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/R Bell) Motion to have a comfort break, commencing at 3:45pm. Meeting resumed at 4:01pm Department: General Manager

Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 6 Subject: Local Government NSW Annual Conference

25.09/16 MOVED ( K Ward/ M Dusting)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council be represented at the 2016 Local Government NSW Annual Conference by the Mayor, or his alternate delegate and the General Manager, or his alternate delegate. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council be represented at the 2016 Local Government NSW Annual Conference by the Mayor, or his alternate delegate and the General Manager, or his alternate delegate.

Department: General Manager

Submitted by: General Manager Reference: Item 7 Subject: National Local Roads and Transport Congress 2016

26.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/I Strutt)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council be represented at the 2016 National Local Roads and Transport Congress by the Mayor, or his alternate delegate. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council be represented at the 2016 National Local Roads and Transport Congress by the Mayor, or his alternate delegate.


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10. CORPORATE & COMMUNITY REPORTS Department: Organisational Services - Finance

Submitted by: Chief Financial Officer Reference: 1.20.09.01 Subject: Cash at Bank and Investments

27.09/16 MOVED (K Ward / I Strutt)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council note the cash position as at 31 August, 2016 consisting of cash and overnight funds of $3,070,566, term deposits of $8,500,000 totalling $11,570,566 of readily convertible funds. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council note the cash position as at 31 August, 2016 consisting of cash and overnight funds of $3,070,566, term deposits of $8,500,000 totalling $11,570,566 of readily convertible funds.

Cr Toomey left the room at 4:06pm having declared a pecuniary interest in the following item. Department: Governance & Information and Community & Culture

Submitted by: Manager Governance and Information Reference: 1.20.09.02 Subject: In – Kind Request for Assistance – Pop-Up Cinema November 2016

28.09/16 MOVED (M Dusting/ K Ward)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That:

1. Council provide in-kind support for Pop-Up Cinema Event in the form of:

(a) use of Hampden Park on Saturday 19 November 2016;

(b) loan of 1 (6x12) Council Marquee, no Council staff are required for erecting or

taking down the marquee;

(c) Loan of 40 steel posts;

(d) Loan of 140m barrier mesh;

(e) Loan of 6 wheelie bins, the event managers will line the bins and empty them at

the tip;

(f) Loan of 2 wheelie bins for recycling, managed as above.

OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That:

1. Council provide in-kind support for Pop-Up Cinema Event in the form of:

(a) use of Hampden Park on Saturday 19 November 2016;

(b) loan of 1 (6x12) Council Marquee, no Council staff are required for erecting or

taking down the marquee;

(c) Loan of 40 steel posts;

(d) Loan of 140m barrier mesh;

(e) Loan of 6 wheelie bins, the event managers will line the bins and empty them at

the tip;

(f) Loan of 2 wheelie bins for recycling, managed as above.


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Cr Toomey returned to the room at 4:07pm.

11. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE REPORTS Department: Infrastructure & Regulation

Submitted by: Director of Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.20.09.01 Subject: Development Approvals and Refusals for August 2016

29.09/16 MOVED (K Ward/ B Crouch)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council receive and note the development approvals and refusals for August 2016. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council receive and note the development approvals and refusals for August 2016.

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Interim Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.20.09.02 Subject: Works Progress Report as at 31 August 2016

30.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/ K Ward)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That the report be received and noted for the works completed or progressed during August 2016, and works programmed for September 2016. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the report be received and noted for the works completed or progressed during August 2016, and works programmed for September 2016.

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation

Submitted by: Contract Planner Reference: 2.20.09.04 Subject: Development Application 43-2016 – 1 Wilkens Street, Uralla - Subdivision

31.09/16 MOVED (R Bell/K Ward)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Development Application 43-2016 being for a 2 lot residential subdivision located on Lot 1 DP 1514741 known as 1 Wilkens Street, Uralla be approved subject to the eleven conditions listed in the report to Council. DIVISION DECISION: For: N Ledger, L Sampson, B Crouch, M Dusting, I Strutt, K Ward, R Bell, T Toomey Against: Nil Absent: Nil OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Development Application 43-2016 being for a 2 lot residential subdivision located on Lot 1 DP 1514741 known as 1 Wilkens Street, Uralla be approved subject to the conditions listed in the report to Council.


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12. MOTIONS ON NOTICE Department: Notice of Motion

Submitted by: Cr. Crouch Reference: Item 1 Subject: Extension of the 80km speed limit on Barleyfields Road

32.09/16 MOVED (B Crouch/M Dusting)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council:

1. Note the matters raised in the Notice of Motion. 2. The Mayor, as delegate to the Traffic Committee and the Community Safety Precinct

Committee, raise the matters at the next available meeting of the relevant committee.

Cr N Ledger voted against the motion. Cr B Crouch accepted the officer’s recommendation as an adequate interpretation of the intent of his proposed motion. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council:

1. Note the matters raised in the Notice of Motion. 2. The Mayor, as delegate to the Traffic Committee and the Community Safety Precinct

Committee, raise the matters at the next available meeting of the relevant

committee. COUNCILLOR’S RECOMMENDATION:

That: Council 1. Approach the Local Traffic Committee to have an 80 km/hr speed restriction applied

to the entire length of Barley Fields Road.

2. Request the Armidale Local Area Command to regularly divert highway patrols to

traverse Barley Fields Road during their patrols of the New England Highway.

Department: Notice of Motion

Submitted by: Cr. Crouch Reference: Item 2 Subject: Visitor Information Centre

33.09/16 MOVED ( B Crouch/I Strutt)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council:

1. Suspend action associated with resolution 12.05/15 2. Undertake a councillor strategic planning session on Tuesday 11 October 2016 to

review matters associated with planning for the Visitor Information Centre and to determine future actions, including community consultation.

COUNCILLOR’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council

1. Suspend action on the relocation of the Visitor Information Centre pending a decision at the December meeting of Council.


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2. Within the next two weeks invite submissions from the Uralla Community and Stakeholders on their vision for, and what services they want delivered by the Visitor information Centre.

3. Prior to the November Council Meeting hold a Community and Stakeholder Forum to receive feedback on 2., and provide the community and stakeholders with the opportunity to provide additional information.

4. Provide a report and recommendation to the December Council meeting, to be informed by the above including a breakdown of costs, as was requested in May 2014 and March 2015.

13. SCHEDULE OF ACTIONS Schedule of Actions was reviewed. 14. CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS There was no confidential business. 15. AUTHORITY TO AFFIX THE COMMON SEAL Department: Organisational Services – Finance

Submitted by: Simon Paul – Chief Financial Officer Reference: Item 1 Subject: Transfer of land associated with the sale of land for unpaid rates

34.09/16 MOVED (I Strutt/R Bell)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council endorse the affixing of the Council Seal on the Section 713 Transfer by a Local Council document in accordance with the request from our solicitors, APJ Law. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council endorse the affixing of the Council Seal on the Section 713 Transfer by a Local Council document in accordance with the request from our solicitors, APJ Law.

16. CLOSURE OF MEETING

There being no further business, the Chair declared the meeting closed at: 4:43pm


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3. TABLING OF REPORTS & PETITIONS Draft Financial Statements – Refer to Report 1.25.10.02

4. URGENT SUPPLEMENTARY & LATE ITEMS OF BUSINESS

5. WRITTEN REPORTS FROM DELEGATES No reports submitted prior to the Council Meeting.


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6. PRESENTATIONS There are no presentations to council.

7. DEPUTATIONS There are no deputations to council.

8. MAYORAL MINUTE There is no Mayoral Minute.


25


9. REPORTS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER There are no reports from the General Manager for the open session of council.


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10. CORPORATE & COMMUNITY REPORTS

REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Organisational Services - Finance

Submitted by: Simon Paul – Chief Financial Officer

Reference: 1.25.10.1

Subject: Cash at Bank and Investments

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK

Objective: 4.2 An effective and efficient organisation.

Strategy: 4.2.2 Operate in a financially responsible and sustainable manner.

Action: 4.2.2.9 Invest surplus funds to maximize the return to Council whilst

complying with Council's Investment Policy risk parameters.

SUMMARY: Attached is a summary of bank accounts, term deposits, cash management account and investments in structured

credit instruments. The investments have been made in accordance with the Act, the Regulations and Council’s Investment Policy.


That:

Council note the cash position as at 30 September, 2016 consisting of cash and overnight funds of $2,589,582, term deposits of $8,500,000 totalling $11,089,582 of readily convertible funds.

BACKGROUND: In accordance with Regulation 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulations 2005, the following report

is prepared about monies not currently required for use by Council and invested in forms of investment approved by Order of the Minister.


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REPORT: Current term deposits of $8,500,000 spread over the next six months will receive a range of interest from

2.5% to 3.% with an average rate of 2.81%. Diary of maturing dates and amounts is attached.

Council’s General Fund bank balances (listed in the attachments) have been reconciled to the bank statement as at 30 September, 2016.

KEY ISSUES: Interest rates remain low and future expectations are that interest rates are likely to fall again within the next

twelve months putting further pressure on our investment returns.

COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy)

N/A

2. Policy and Regulation Local Government Act 1993 Local Government (General) Regulations 2005

Order of the Minister re Investments

3. Financial (LTFP) Current interest rates affect Council’s ability to meet projected investment returns therefore reducing forecast

revenue in the long term.

4. Asset Management (AMS)

N/A

5. Workforce (WMS) N/A

6. Legal and Risk Management

Risk management involves ensuring compliance with the Minister’s Orders regarding approved type of investments thus reducing risk of future losses on investments made.

7. Performance Measures N/A

8. Project Management N/A


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Prepared by staff member: Simon Paul

TRIM Reference Number: U15/287

Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Chief Financial Officer

Department: Organisational Services - Finance Attachments: A. Council’s Investments as 30

September, 2016


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Institution Account Bank Statement

National Australia Bank Main Account $92,557.67

National Australia Bank Trust Account $31,296.33

Community Mutual Bundarra RTC $23,911.70

Total $147,765.70

Institution Interest rate Balance

National Australia Bank 0.01% $0.00

Professional Funds

0.15% above

RBA cash rate$2,441,815.90

Total $2,441,815.90

Interest rate Maturity Balance

2.82% 6/10/2016 $600,000.00

2.95% 17/10/2016 $1,300,000.00

2.60% 5/01/2017 $500,000.00

3.00% 24/01/2017 $600,000.00

2.70% 25/01/2017 $250,000.00

2.50% 23/02/2017 $800,000.00

2.70% 24/11/2016 $600,000.00

2.65% 26/02/2017 $600,000.00

2.65% 7/03/2017 $500,000.00

2.70% 15/09/2017 $500,000.00

3.00% 26/07/2017 $1,000,000.00

2.88% 25/10/2016 $250,000.00

2.95% 30/11/2016 $1,000,000.00

$8,500,000.00

Loans:

Loan no. Balance

165 $61,908.47

167 $7,077.90

168 $52,445.69

176 $253,675.49

177 $202,958.15

181 $15,233.96

185 $19,832.55

186 $25,671.81

187 $183,623.25

188 $43,554.14

189 $242,358.94

190 $1,890,099.66

Total $2,998,440.01

Bridge construction & industrial land development

Public Toilets Alma Park

Public Toilets Pioneer Park

Undergrounding Power and Mainstreet Upgrade

Paving and Power Undergrounding

Bridge Construction

Grace Munro Centre

Creative Village Works

Total

Newcastle Permanent

Westpac Banking Corporation

Newcastle Permanent

Regional Australia Bank

ANZ

National Australia Bank



Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Purpose

MGH Property

Rear Service Lane Land


Commonwealth Bank of Australia


ANZ

Library Extensions

Community Centre

Uralla Shire Council

Investments at 30 September, 2016

Cash at Bank – Operating Accounts:

Business Investment (Cash Management) Account

Institution

Term Deposits:


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Governance and Information

Submitted by: Rechelle Leahy


Subject: Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Councillors

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Objective: Provide advice and direction in corporate governance. Strategy: Ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements and that operations are

supported by effective corporate governance. Action: Ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements.

SUMMARY: The Local Government elections occurred on 10 September 2016, a new Council was officially

declared on

16 September 2016. A number of legislative requirements need to be met once a new Council is

declared, including a review and adoption of the Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of

Facilities for Councillors Policy within 12 months of the term of a new council, instead of annually, as

prescribed under Section 252 of the Local Government Act 1993 (LGA). A council may from time to

time amend a policy under this section.


Council adopt the attached policy and amendments as described for the Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Councillors.


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BACKGROUND: The Local Government Act 1993 (LGA) was amended to reflect that Expenses and Facilities policies

are to be adopted by a council within 12 months of the term of a new council, instead of annually

(section 252 LGA). Amendments to this policy are no longer required to be specifically notified to

the Office of Local Government (section 253 LGA). Clause 403 of the Local Government (General)

Regulation 2005 (‘the Regulation’) also prescribes requirements to be met.

The Guidelines for the payment of expenses and the provision of facilities for Mayors and Councillors

in NSW October 2009, requires that Councillor expenses and facilities policies should allow for

councillors to receive adequate and reasonable expenses and facilities to enable them to carry out

their civic duties as elected representatives of their local communities.

Councillor expenses and facilities policies must include all of the specific expenses for which

councillors are entitled to receive reimbursement and all of the specific facilities councillors are

entitled to use. Councillors can only receive reimbursement for expenses and the use of facilities

when these are clearly identified in the policy.

REPORT: The attached Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Councillors Policy has been reviewed by the Executive, including the General Manager, and the following updates have been made:

A nexus to the Code of Conduct as recommended by the Office of Local Government after the recent amendments to the LGA;

All expense claim values in Appendix B have been linked to the Australian Taxation Office Business Travel Expenses Circular: https://www.ato.gov.au/business/income-and-deductions-for-business/business-travel-expenses/ .

Care related expenses have been linked to https://www.mychild.gov.au/ . Any changes in wording have been highlighted for reference. These amendments are not substantive in nature and therefore the policy is not required to be displayed for 28 days to the public for comment as prescribed under Section 253 of the LGA. KEY ISSUES: Under section 439 of the LGA every councillor must act honestly and exercise a reasonable degree of

care and diligence in carrying out his or her functions. Under section 440 each council must adopt a

code of conduct that incorporates the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in

NSW.


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https://www.ato.gov.au/business/income-and-deductions-for-business/business-travel-expenses/

https://www.ato.gov.au/business/income-and-deductions-for-business/business-travel-expenses/

https://www.mychild.gov.au/


Other policy documents to be considered during the development and review of councillor expenses

and facilities policies include relevant Circulars to Councils, the Model Code of Conduct for Local

Councils in NSW and the Independent Commission against Corruption publication No Excuse for

Misuse.

A council may disburse money only if the disbursement is authorised by the Local Government Act,

either expressly or because it is supplemental, incidental to or consequential upon the exercise of its

functions.

CONCLUSION: Adopting the policy will provide a consistent approach to payment of fees and expenses for

Councillors and may be updated as required should legislative amendment occur in the future.


1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) N/A

2. Policy and Regulation

Local Government Act 1993

Local Government (General) Regulation 2005

Code of Conduct – Local Government

3. Financial (LTFP) N/A

4. Asset Management (AMS)

N/A

5. Workforce (WMS)

N/A

6. Legal and Risk Management

N/A


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7. Performance Measures

N/A


Name: Andrew Hopkins

Position: General Manager

Prepared by staff member: Rechelle Leahy

TRIM Reference Number:

Approved/Reviewed by Manager:

Department:

Andrew Hopkins

Governance and Information | Community and Culture

Attachments:

B. Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Councillors Policy


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This document is only current as at date of printing 14 October 2016

Payment of Fees and Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for

Councillors

Policy Number

Document Version V1.0

Adoption Date

Endorsed By General Manager

Approved By Council: Resolution No.

Minute Number

Consultation Period

Review Due Date September 2017

Policy Custodian Governance Manager

Superseded Documents

Related Documents N/A

Delegations of Authority

Purpose and Scope

Uralla Shire Council is governed by the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General)

Regulation 2005. The Act and accompanying Regulations requires local government to be responsible and

accountable for its own governance requirements.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that Councillors receive adequate and reasonable payment of

expenses and the provision of facilities to enable them to carry out their civic duties. It ensures that these

are provided in a consistent, accountable and transparent manner.

Legislation, Standards and Guidelines

NSW Local Government Act 1993

Local Government (General) Regulation 2005

Uralla Shire Council Operating Policies

Office of Local Government Publications

Guidelines for the payment of expenses and the provision of facilities to Mayors and Councillors – issued 2009

Circular 10/26 Misuse of Council Resources

Circular 08/37 Council decision making prior to ordinary elections


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ICAC Publication – No excuse for misuse, preventing the misuse of Council resources

Code of Conduct

Definitions

Official Business: For the purposes of this policy ‘official business’ includes Council and Committee and/or

Workshop meetings, formal or social functions whilst representing Council, consultations with the Mayor,

General Manager or staff, or other meetings involving the community where attendance is approved by the

Mayor.

Expenses: Payments made by Council to reimburse Councillors for reasonable costs or charges incurred, or

to be incurred, for discharging their civic functions. All expenses to be reimbursed must be outlined in this

Policy and may be either reimbursed to a Councillor or paid directly by the Council to a third party.

Expenses are separate and additional to annual fees paid to Councillors and the Mayor in accordance with

the Act.

Facilities: Equipment and services provided by Council to Councillors to enable them to discharge their civic

functions to a standard appropriate to their role.

Meeting: Meetings for which Councillors expenses will be reimbursed for attending include Ordinary and

Extra-Ordinary meetings of Council within the meaning of the Act, and Standing Committee and/or

Workshop meetings to which the Councillor is a delegate by resolution of Council.

Council event: A Council event for the purpose of this policy is one which the attending Councillors were

authorised to attend by Council resolution, where appropriate, the authorisation of the Mayor and General

Manager. These are in addition to Council’s Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary meetings, and may include training

and development events, civic events, conferences, dinners with visiting delegates and workshops. The

purpose of this is to ensure that control exists over the number and type of events for which the Council

may become exposed to expense claims and limits them to those which the attendee is a delegate or

alternate appointed by Council resolution or at the request of the Mayor.

Local travel: Travel within the Uralla Shire Council Local Government Area.

Limits and standards: This policy sets out the monetary limits to be applied to reimbursement of expenses,

and the standards for the provision of equipment of facilities as determined by Council in accordance with

the Guidelines.

Policy Statement

The Local Government Act 1993 requires that Council adopt a Policy on Councillor Expenses and the

Provision of Facilities to Councillors within 12 months of the term of a new council (s.252 LGA).

Prior to adopting, or amending the policy, Council must give 28 days public notice of it and invite

submissions on it during that period (although Council need not give notice of an amendment that, in the

opinion of Council, is not substantial – s.253 LGA).


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Key Principles

The Code of Conduct provides that:

• Councillors must act lawfully, honestly and exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence in carrying

out their functions;

• Council resources must be used ethically, effectively, efficiently and carefully, Council property including

intellectual property, official services and facilities must not be misused for private benefit or gain;

• Councillors should avoid any action or situation that could create the appearance that Council resources

are being inappropriately used;

• A person’s re-election is considered to be a personal interest. Official Council material such as letterheads,

publications, websites (including all other social media) as well as Council services and forums should not be

used for re-election purposes;

• The fund raising activities of political parties, including political fundraising events, are considered to be personal interests.

Council facilities provided to Councillors should not be used for personal benefit other than on an incidental basis. Where more substantial private use occurs, Council will require payment of a fee to cover this use.

Reimbursement of expenses

Section 252 of the Local Government Act 1993 and Clause 403 of the Local Government (General)

Regulation 2005 requires that Council authorises payment of expenses and provide facilities to Councillors

and the Mayor as follows:

Councillors can only receive reimbursement for expenses and the use of facilities when these are clearly defined in this policy;

Adequate provision must be made within the policy for Councillors and the Mayor to be reimbursed for actual expenses in the performance of the civic duties, including but not limited to: - Training and development, conferences and seminars, travel, childcare, legal expenses and

insurance;

Councillors should not obtain private benefit from the provision of equipment and facilities, however it is

acknowledged that incidental use of council equipment and facilities may occur from time to time. Such

incidental private use is not subject to compensatory payment back to Council. Where private use does

occur beyond incidental nature, the Act provides that Council must recover a payment from Councillors to

cover that use.

Appropriate rates for reimbursement and standards for provision of facilities should be included within this

policy. This will include reference to any relevant employment award rates and Australian Taxation Office

determinations.


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Allowances

Council will determine the amount of the Councillor and Mayoral allowances each year in open Council.

Allowances are to be within the limits set for Uralla Shire Councillors by the NSW Local Government

Remuneration Tribunal.

Expenses, Facilities and Equipment – General

Councillor expenses may not be used to support attendance by Councillors at political fund raising

functions. Council facilities, equipment and services are not to be used by or for Councillors to produce

election material or for any other political purposes.

A general allowance for expenses will not be paid. Council will not pay for any private benefits obtained by a

Councillor. Councillors must also, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, avoid any action or situation that

could create the appearance that Council resources are being used inappropriately.

Where practical and possible approval must be sought and gained prior to an expense being incurred.

Where appropriate and requested by a Councillor, and authorised by the Mayor and General Manager, or

Deputy Mayor and General Manager in the case of the Mayor, Council will provide an advance payment for

the cost of a service associated with discharging a function of civic office. This is to ensure that Councillors

are able to fully participate in their civic duties without financial disadvantage. Advance payments must

always be reconciled at a future date within 45 days of the expense being incurred, with any residual funds

being returned to Council.

In circumstances where it is appropriate for Councillors to give a gift or benefit these gifts and benefits

should be of a token value and in accordance with the relevant policies of Council. Clarification on what

token gifts and benefits are can be sourced from Council’s Code of Conduct.

Approval for discretionary trips, attendance at conferences and/or for other significant expenses and

facilities will occur, where possible, as a full meeting of Council.

Reimbursement of payments made by the Mayor and Councillors will only be made following the

completion of a form as set out in Appendix A: Expense claim form, and the provision of:

- a tax invoice in the case of expenditure greater than $50.00; or - a receipt or Statutory Declaration where a receipt cannot be obtained for expenditure less than

$50.00.

In accordance with requirements, Council has set monetary limits to all expense provisions in this policy, as

well as standards for the provision of equipment and facilities. See Appendix B, Limits and Standards that

prescribes a summary of the monetary limits and standards as determined under the policy to be applied.

In situations where private use by Councillors, greater than an incidental nature, arise from the provision of

facilities Councillors will compensate Council in accordance with the appropriate method of reconciliation

and reimbursement for that private use.

Facilities, equipment or services provided to a Councillor shall be returned to the Council, or terminated

where applicable, when an individual ceases to be a Councillor or during an extended leave of absence. The


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Councillor where practical, will be given the option to purchase the equipment provided at the greater of an

agreed fair market price or written down value.

Items for the payment of expenses

Attendance at seminars and conferences

(a) Requests for attending seminars and conferences must be in writing and outline the benefits of Council;

(b) Where possible, requests must be considered and approved at a full meeting of Council prior to attendance. Where this is not possible, attendance should be authorised by the Mayor and General Manager;

(c) After returning from the conference the Councillor/s should provide a written report to Council on the aspects of the seminar or conference relevant to Council business and / or the local community;

(d) Council will pay all seminar or conference registration fees including the costs of related official lunches and dinners, and associated tours where they are relevant to the business and interests of Council;

(e) Council will meet the reasonable cost of transportation, parking fees, road tolls, accommodation and meals associated with attendance at the conference when they are not included in conference fees, and they are in accordance with other policy provisions, approval processes and limits;

(f) Associated costs for attendance by spouses, partners and accompanying persons will only be met in accordance with the relevant provisions of this policy.

Training and Development

(a) Council will identify, plan and provide for training and development of Councillors to enable them to carry out their civic duties;

(b) A separate provision will be made within the annual budget for the payment of training and development expenses of Councillors;

(c) It is essential that where Council is paying these expenses that the training or educational course is directly related to the Councillor’s civic functions and responsibilities;

(d) Council will meet the reasonable cost of transportation, parking fees, road tolls, accommodation and meals associated with attendance at the training and development when they are not included in the training or course fees, and they are in accordance with other policy provisions, approval processes and limit.

Travel – General

(a) All travel by Councillors will be undertaken utilising the most direct route and most practicable and economical mode of transport subject to any personal medical considerations;

(b) Councillors will be responsible for any traffic or parking infringements incurred, whether it is related to their own vehicle or a Council vehicle in their control;

(c) This will include the use of private vehicles in accordance with the rates advised by the Australian Taxation Office, as set out in Appendix B.

Travel – Local

(a) Council will pay for or reimburse the reasonable local travel expenses, including use of a Councillor’s own vehicle, public transport, hire cars and taxi fares of Councillors relating to carrying out their civic functions or attending a Council event as defined within this policy;


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Travel – Intrastate

(a) Travel expenses, including flights outside the Uralla Shire Council Local Government Area but within the State of NSW for Councillors carrying out their civic functions or attending a Council event as defined in this policy will be paid for or reimbursed in the same method as local travel, with the exception that they will require approval prior to travel, by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and General Manager and where appropriate Council.

Travel – Interstate

(a) Travel expenses including flights, outside the state of NSW for Councillors carrying out their civic functions or attending a Council event as defined in this policy will be paid for or reimbursed in the same method as local and intrastate travel, with the exception that interstate travel will require a request for approval to be considered and approved at a full meeting of Council prior to the travel being undertaken;

(b) The request for approval of interstate travel should include full details of the travel, including itinerary, costs and reasons for the travel.

Travel – International

(a) Councillors will not be reimbursed for any overseas travel.

Accommodation Costs

(a) Accommodation standards to be restricted to a four star standard accommodation, unless it is impractical to do so, or the accommodation is included at a conference venue;

(b) Should a Councillor elect to utilise a higher standard of accommodation, they shall reimburse Council prior to the stay for the difference in cost.

(c) Any personal expenses (mini bar, additional nights not required for the civic business etc) must be met by the Councillor on checking out.

Incidental expenses

(a) Reasonable out of pocket expenses or incidental expenses associated with Councillors attending conferences, seminars, training or development courses, other Council events and undertaking civic functions will be reimbursed provided that it can be demonstrated that the expenses were actually incurred and that appropriate reconciliation and procedures are followed as contained in this policy;

(b) Incidental expenses which may be associated with Council business may include:

- Telephone call costs; and

- Internet charges. (c) A daily limit as set out in Appendix B will apply to all incidental expenses.

Legal expenses

(a) Council will indemnify or reimburse a Councillor’s reasonable legal costs properly incurred only where: - Legal proceedings are taken against a Councillor in defending an action arising from the

performance in good faith of a function under the Local Government Act or defending an action in defamation, provided that the outcome of the legal proceedings is favourable to the


40


Councillor; or - An inquiry, investigation or hearing is undertaken into a Councillor’s conduct by an appropriate

investigative or review body, subject to: it arising from the performance in good faith of a Councillor’s functions under the Act, the matter having proceeded past any initial assessment phase to a formal investigation or review, and where the investigative or review body makes a finding that is not substantially unfavourable to the Councillor.

(b) Circumstances where a matter does not proceed to a finding or in the case of a Councillor’s conduct, the investigative or review body finding that an inadvertent minor technical breach has occurred will not necessarily be considered a substantially unfavourable outcome;

(c) Approval must be sought and gained from the Mayor and General Manager, or Deputy Mayor and General Manager in the case of the Mayor prior to legal expenses being incurred;

(d) Council will not meet the legal costs of legal proceedings initiated by a Councillor under any circumstances;

(e) Council will not meet the legal costs of a Councillor seeking advice in respect of a possible defamation matter, or in seeking a non-litigious remedy for possible defamation;

(f) Legal costs will not be met for legal proceedings that do not involve a Councillor performing their role as a Councillor;

(g) Council will not meet the legal costs in relation to any inquiry, investigation or hearing where the finding of the investigative or review body is substantially unfavourable to the Councillor;

(h) Any information provided to a Councillor under this policy shall also be given to the Mayor and General Manager, and at the Mayor and General Manager’s discretion be provided to all Councillors;

(i) The coverage of legal expenses is limited as set out at Appendix B in respect of each Councillor during any one financial year.

Insurance expenses

(a) Council provides cover under the Statewide Insurance Scheme under the Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Scheme and Statewide Councillors & Officers Liability Scheme. This cover provides insurance to Councillors for matters arising out of Councillor’s performance of their civic duties and / or exercise of their Council functions.

Telecommunication and Internet expenses

(a) Council will provide a mobile phone, where relevant or pay for, or reimburse the costs of the Mayor for his/her use of a personal mobile phone for Council business purposes on a monthly basis;

(b) With the provision of other data devices, such as Tablets (iPads), Council will pay the costs of data plans to enable their use. The amount covered by Council will be limited to the amounts as set out in Appendix B, and any charges in excess of the established plan, be they private or business related, will be paid for or reimbursed to Council by the Councillor.

Personalised documents

(a) Council will not cover the expenses of Councillors in relation to any production or dissemination of personalised pamphlets, newsletters or the like;

(b) Council recognises that regardless of the intention of such activities, they may be perceived as using Council resources for private political benefit, and therefore contrary to the spirit of the Code of Conduct and Local Government Act 1993.


41


Attendance at Council events

(a) Council will meet the costs of attendance of Councillors at Council events, within the definition of this policy, where the expenses are not of a private nature. The coverage of the costs is subject to the limits as set out for relevant expense categories in this policy in Appendix B for each individual Councillor on a monthly basis;

(b) No payment will be made by Council for any attendance by a Councillor at any political fund raising event, donation to a political party, a candidate’s electoral fund or such other private benefit.

Care and other related expenses

(a) Council will make payment for or reimburse Councillors for reasonable costs incurred for care arrangements, including childcare expenses and the care of elderly, disabled and/or sick immediate family members of Councillors in order to allow Councillors to undertake their Council duties as set out within this policy;

(b) As outlined in the Guidelines, this is in accordance with the principles of participation, access and equity and is considered by the Division of Local Government to be a legitimate expense;

(c) The payment for or reimbursement of these expenses are subject to the limits as set out in Appendix B.

Expenses for spouses, partners and accompanying persons

(a) There will be limited occasions where Council will meet the costs of attendance for a Councillor’s spouse, partner or accompanying person, as defined within this policy. Such occasions include: - Attendance at official Council functions that are of a formal and ceremonial nature and within

the Uralla Shire Council Local Government Area were a spouse, partner or accompanying person could reasonably be expected to attend; such as Australia Day Award ceremonies, citizenship ceremonies and civic receptions;

- Attendance at the Local Government NSW annual conference, but limited to official dinner costs. Any additional accommodation or tour costs will be met by the Councillor;

- Where the spouse, partner or accompanying person is representing the Mayor, when they are called upon to attend an official function outside the Council area, but within NSW.

(b) Any costs outside of those identified above will not be met by Council.

Provision of facilities, equipment and services

Council will supply Councillors with an appropriate tablet device (iPad) for Council business, data will be

managed as per this policy.

Council will supply Council business cards, badges, ties, scarves, name tags and appropriate stationary to

support Councillors in their civic duties and in the representation and promotion of Uralla Shire Council and

its community.

Council will provide a Councillor with a non-dedicated vehicle for use related to their civic duties, or

reimburse them in accordance with travel provisions within this policy for the use of their own vehicle. Any

non-incidental private use of a Council vehicle during its availability to a Councillor will be recorded by the

Councillor and reimbursed at the rate of 15 cents per kilometre.

Council will provide Councillors with meals and refreshments in relation to meetings for Council business.


42


Council will provide Councillors with protective clothing where required in the carrying out of their civic

duties.

Council will provide administrative support and service to the Councillors as required through the office of

the General Manager, which enables them to appropriately carry out their civic duties. Council will not

provide any support or assistance in relation to a Councillor’s election or candidacy.

Council will provide for the Mayor’s use in discharging his/her civic duties an appropriately furnished office,

and any necessary office equipment.

Time limit for payment of fees and expenses

A reimbursement of expenses is to be claimed within 60 days of the expense being incurred unless the

Council, by resolution, determines that special circumstances exist. In this situation, a claim would need to

be submitted within 60 days of the decision of Council.

Approval and Dispute Resolution Process

Councillors are required to complete a claim for expenses incurred in the carrying out of their civic duties as

set out in Appendix A.

Should there be a dispute on the claiming of expenses, this is to be initially determined by the General

Manager and Mayor. If the dispute is unresolved, then a determination is to be made at a full meeting of

Council.

Payment reimbursement

Payment of reimbursement to Councillors will be via direct deposit to their nominated bank account in the

next available payment run.

Maintenance and return of facilities and equipment

All equipment listed in this policy is issued to Councillors on the basis that they agree to keep it in good

condition while it is in their care and to promptly return it to Council either on request or when they cease

to hold office.

If the equipment is not required by Council and is not held under lease at the cessation of their duties then

Councillors may purchase their Council equipment from Council, at the higher of its market value and its

written down value.

Reporting provisions

Section 428 of the Local Government Act 1993 requires Council to report the following in its Annual Report:

The amount of money expended during the financial year on Councillor and Mayoral fees;

A statement of the total amount expended during the year on the provision of facilities and the payment of expenses for each Councillor;

The Councils policy for the payment of expenses and provision of facilities to Councillors; and

Any other additional items that are identified as being in the public interest, from time to time.


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Accountability, Roles and Responsibility

The Office of the General Manager is the custodian of the Councillors – Payment of Expenses and Provision

of Facilities Policy, assisted by the Manager of Governance and Information. This includes management,

review and implementation of the policy and reporting of outcomes as required.

Attachments

Appendix A

Appendix Bd Responsibility

Version Review Date Reviewer Approved


44

This document is only current as at date of printing 14 October 2016 Council Business Paper

25 October 201645


Appendix B

Item Ext Reference Limit/Standard

Travel using own vehicle - 1600cc (1.6L) or less - 1601cc (1.6-2.6L) - 2601cc (2.601L) and

over

ATO ATO ATO

63 cents per km 74 cents per km 75 cents per km As per www.ato.gov.au

Accommodation expenses - Metropolitan - Regional

$300.00 per night $200.00 per night As per www.ato.gov.au

Travel incidentals - Meals (full day) - Breakfast only - Lunch only - Dinner only - Telephone calls

ATO ATO ATO ATO ATO

$130.00 per day $30.00 per day $40.00 per day $60.00 per day $5.00 per day As per www.ato.gov.au

Telecommunications Mobile phones / Internet

- Mayor - Councillors

Tablet Devices – Data Plans

$40.00 $30.00 $ N/A

Plans paid for by Council

Care related expenses Child care (per child) Other carer payment

$10.00 incl GST per child per hour Any reimbursement shall be subject to the following limitations: - One or more of the Councillor’s children must be under the age of fifteen years; - The child care service is provided by a professional child care service; - A tax invoice must have been provided by the child care service; - Total payments are limited to $1,500 incl. GST per annum. $10.00 incl GST per hour Up to $1500.00 per annum As per www.mychild.gov.au

Legal expenses Up to $1500.00 per annum

Conference fees and training and development

overall limit set by Council’s adopted budget


46

http://www.ato.gov.au/



http://www.mychild.gov.au/


REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Community and Culture

Submitted by: Manager Governance and Information | Community and Culture


Subject: Visitor Information Centre - Survey

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Objective: Tourism opportunities are promoted and supported to attract visitors to the Shire and

ensure its economic strength and viability. Strategy: Develop a comprehensive project plan on Visitor Information Centre redevelopment. Action: Visitor Information Centre redevelopment.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to present to Council the draft Survey for consideration and approval

for circulation to the community regarding the Visitor Information Centre and Library services

requested after the Strategic Planning Workshop of Monday 10 October 2016.


1. Council note and approve the survey for circulation;

2. Council approve the following consultation approach with residents to be undertaken during the month of November 2016: (a) Online – Uralla Shire Council Website, Uralla Tourism Website, Uralla

Community Services Website, Bundarra Community Website; (b) Facebook; (c) Hard copy – Library, Visitor Information Centre, Council Office Admin Building,

TCSO, main street distribution; (d) Email (e) Mailout with council newsletter.


47


BACKGROUND: A Strategic Planning Workshop was held by Council on 10 October 2016 to discuss the Visitor

Information Centre and future of plans to co-locate it with the Uralla Shire Library.

During this Workshop Council discussed the merits of various options including, co-location of the

Visitor Information Centre with the Library, keeping the status quo and updating the current Visitor

Information Centre building due to amenities requirements.

REPORT: Council decided that a survey should be developed and put to the community requesting input regarding both the Library and Visitor Information Centre services and buildings. A copy of the draft survey is attached for reference. A robust communication and consultation strategy is required and will include the following modes of communication:

Online – Uralla Shire Council Website, Uralla Tourism Website, Uralla Community Services Website, Bundarra Community Website;

Facebook;

Hard copy – Library, Visitor Information Centre, Council Office Admin Building, TCSO, main street distribution;

Email; Survey Monkey will be used for the Survey creation as it allows for easy PDF export and additionally provides a facility to enter hard copy responses when they are collected. In addition the survey can be embed in the Uralla Shire Council web site, and it can be linked from Facebook. Survey Monkey also allows the survey to be emailed directly within the Survey Monkey account allowing tracking of the responses to the email and useful statistics to be maintained for future reference. COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication N/A

2. Policy and Regulation

Local Government Act 1993; Local Government Regulations (General) 2005;

3. Financial (LTFP)

N/A

4. Asset Management (AMS) N/A


48


5. Workforce (WMS) N/A

6. Legal and Risk Management N/A

7. Performance Measures N/A


Andrew Hopkins

General Manager

Prepared by staff member: Rechelle Leahy


Department:

Andrew Hopkins

Governance and Information & Community and Culture

Attachments:

C. Draft Survey


49


50


51


REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Finance Submitted by: Chief Financial Officer Reference: 1.25.10.04 Subject: Draft 2015-16 Financial Statements

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Goal: An effective and efficient organisation Strategy: Ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements and that operations are

supported by effective corporate governance Action: Complete and lodge annual financial statements in accordance with statutory requirements

SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to present to Council the Draft 2015-16 Financial Statements. In accordance with S416 of the Local Government Act, 1993 Council is required to pass a resolution to this effect along with the making of a number of other conformance statements. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That: 1. Council’s Draft Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with:

the Local Government Act 1993 (as amended) and the regulations made there under,

the Australian Accounting Standards, and

the Local Government Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting;

2. The report presents fairly the Councils operating result and financial position for the year;

3. The report accords with Council’s accounting and other records;

4. Council is not aware of any matter that would render this report false or misleading in any way;

5. Council’s Draft Financial Statements be referred to audit for finalisation;

6. Council delegate authority to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, General Manager and Responsible

Accounting Officer to sign the ‘Statement by Council and Management’ for inclusion with the

statements;


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7. Council delegate authority to the General Manager to finalise the date at which the auditors report

and financial statements are to be presented to the public; and,

8. Council delegate authority to the General Manager to set the authorised ‘for issue’ date upon

receipt of the auditors report.

BACKGROUND: Council is required annually to complete year end Financial Statements in accordance with S413 (1) of the Local Government Act. These reports are to be completed as soon as practicable after the end of financial year in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and must include, general purpose financial statements, special purpose financial statements for all of council’s business activities, special schedules and the statement by councillors and management. Council has four months from the end of financial year to prepare, adopt and have audited the financial reports in accordance with S416 (1) of the Local Government Act. REPORT: In order to continue to progress toward lodgement of the financial statements with the appropriate bodies, it is now required that council refer the attached draft Financial Statements to audit for finalisation and it make a resolution in accordance with S413 (2c) of the Local Government Act, that the report is in accordance with:

the Local Government Act 1993 and the regulations made there under, the Australian Accounting Standards, and the Local Government Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting, that it presents fairly the Council’s operating result and financial position for the year, that the Council is not aware of any matter that would render this report false or

misleading in any way, and the statements accord with Councils accounting and other financial records.

Additionally council is also required to delegate authority to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, General Manager and Responsible Accounting Officer to sign the ‘Statement by Council and Management’ that forms part of the financial report in accordance with Clause 215 of the Local Government (General) Regulation. Given the tight timeframes within which the audited financial statements need to be lodged with the Office of Local Government and the timing for the auditors report to be presented to the general public, it would also be prudent at this time to delegate authority to the General Manager to execute the following:

Finalise the date at which the auditors report and financial statements are to be presented to the public in compliance with S418 (1) of the Local Government Act.

Set the authorised ‘for issue’ date upon receipt of the auditors report in accordance with

AASB 110.


53



1. Community Engagement/ Communication Once finalised the financial statements are to be publicly exhibit in accordance with the Local Government Act, including advertising of the key results in the newspaper. Councils auditor is also required to make presentation on the results at a Council Meeting following completion and audit of the Statements.

2. Policy and Regulation Local Government Act 1993; Local Government Regulations (General) 2005; Australian Accounting Standards; Local Government Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting.

3. Financial (LTFP)

The draft Financial Statements are a report on the financial outcome for the 2015-16 year.

4. Asset Management (AMS) No changes recommended

5. Workforce (WMS) No changes recommended

6. Legal and Risk Management N/A

7. Performance Measures Results for key macro financial indicators contained in Note 13 of the Statements.


Simon Paul Chief Financial Officer Prepared by staff member: Simon Paul Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:

Simon Paul Finance

TO BE TABLED AT MEETING: Draft 2015-16 Financial Statements


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11. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

REPORTS

REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Director of Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.01 Subject: Development Approvals and Refusals for September 2016

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Goal: 2.1 An attractive environment for business, tourism and industry Strategy: 2.1.4 Implement tools to simplify development processes and encourage quality

commercial, industrial and residential development Action: 2.1.4.1 Assess and determine regulatory applications, including development

applications, complying development certificates, construction certificates, Section 68 certificates, Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Certificates, and Conveyancing Certificates

SUMMARY: The following details the development approvals issued by Council and by private certification for September 2016 for the entire local government area. A listing of development applications outstanding with a status as at the end of September 2016 has also been provided. For information purposes a summary of the development values is provided from January 2006 until the end of September 2016. Similarly, a summary of the number of dwellings approved within the local government area from 1 January 2001 until the end of September 2016 is provided. The number of applications lapsing in March 2017 is also listed for information purposes. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council receive and note the development approvals and refusals for September 2016.


55


REPORT:

Development Applications

Approvals:

Development Application

Number Applicant Property Development

DA-23-2008-3 Mr J Griffiths 9964 New England Highway,

Saumarez Modification – Internal

& Verandah

DA-8-2016-2 New England Surveying &

Engineering 13 Stringybark Ridge Road,

Invergowrie Modification 4 Lot Staged Subdivision

DA-20-2016-2 Mr P Doyle & Ms B Walsh

40 Gostwyck Street, Uralla Dwelling

DA-43-2016 Mr C & Mrs E Foster 1 Wilkens Street, Uralla 2 Lot Subdivision

DA-47-2016 Mr S Hicks 42 Andersons Road, Rocky

River Dwelling & Garage

DA-51-2016 Regional Australia Bank 52 Bridge Street, Uralla Change of Signage

DA-52-2016 Mr F Hanson 10 Maitland Point Road,

Rocky River Garage & Hobby Room

DA-53-2016 Mr D & Mr N Moffatt 133 Invergowrie Road,

Invergowrie Farm Shed with Shipping

Container Storage

DA-56-2016 Mr C & Mrs K Crapp 10 Bullens Road, Rocky River Shed

Monthly Estimated Value of Approvals: $481,095.00 Refusals: Nil DAs Withdrawn: Nil Comparison to September 2015: September 2015: $121,600.00 September 2016: $481,095.00 Year to date: $4,186,783.00 Year to date: $3,231,189.00 (Calendar Year) (Calendar Year)

Development Applications Outstanding

Application Number

Applicant Property Development Status

DA-46-2016 Mr G & Mrs E Gates 1577 Bundarra Road,

Invergowrie Dwelling Additions

Awaiting Applicant

DA-49-2016 Mr P & Mrs Iskov 14 Dawkins Street,

Bundarra

Conversion of Studio to Tourist Accommodation

& Enclosed Entertainment Area

Under Assessment

DA-50-2016 Boresch Project

Services Lot 1 DP 109536

Arding Road, Arding

Stockpiling, Processing & Direct Application of

Waste Material to Land

Under Assessment

DA-54-2016 Mr M & Mrs K Doran 46-48 Maitland Street, Uralla

Staged – Boundary Adjustment, 6 Units &

Strata Title

Under Notification

Application Number

Applicant Property Development Status


56


DA-55-2016 New England

Architectural Studio 40 Bridge Street,

Uralla

Staged – Commercial Building and 4 Short

Term Accommodation Units

Awaiting Applicant

DA-57-2016 Mr J Layton 17 Souter Street,

Bundarra Shed Extension &

Alfresco Area Awaiting Applicant

DA-58-2016 Mrs J Byrne 1 Bligh Avenue,

Uralla

Staged – Conversion of Shed to Dwelling, Shed

& Strata Title

Under Assessment

DA-59-2016 New England Surveying & Engineering

183 Linfield Road, Mihi

Boundary Adjustment Awaiting RFS

Total: 8

Construction Certificates Approved: Nil

Application Number

Applicant Property Construction

CC-23-2008 Mr J Griffiths 9964 New England Highway, Saumarez

Modification – Internal & Verandah

CC-47-2016 Mr S Hicks 42 Andersons Road, Rocky

River Dwelling & Garage

CC-52-2016 Mr F Hanson 10 Maitland Point Road,

Rocky River Garage & Hobby Room

CC-53-2016 Mr D & Mr N Moffatt 133 Invergowrie Road,

Invergowrie

Farm Shed with Shipping Container

Storage Refused: Nil Issued by Private Certifier:

Application Number

Applicant Property Construction

CC-11-2016 LDJD Investments Pty Ltd 16 Bendemeer Street,

Bundarra Alterations & Additions

to Hotel

CC-23-2016 Mr B Sharpe & Ms K

Reed 7056 New England Highway,

Kentucky Dwelling & Shed

CC-41-2016 Mrs M H Evans 42 Bridge Street, Uralla Balcony Repair

Total Monthly Estimated Value of Construction Certificate Approvals: $833,217.00


57


Complying Development Certificate Applications Approvals:

Application Number

Applicant Property Development

CDC-21-2016 Ms K Smith 55 Budumba Road,

Invergowrie Awning

Refusals: Nil Withdrawal: Nil Issued by Private Certifier:

Application Number

Applicant Property Development

CDC-22-2016 Mr W & Mrs D Mitchell 20 Holloways Lane, Arding Dwelling Alterations

Total Monthly Estimated Value of Complying Development Certificate Approvals: $16,900.00

Comparison to September 2015:

September 2015: $0.00 September 2016: $16,900.00 Year to date: $2,002,167.00 Year to date: $943,005.00 (Calendar Year) (Calendar Year)

Calendar Year Development Values

Year

Total Development

Value $

Average Development Value

$


Value $

Complying Development

Value $

2006 6,310,059 42,349 6,310,059 -

2007 7,211,361 44,515 7,211,361 -

2008 9,155,533 50,030 7,393,239 1,762,294

2009 9,290,046 72,016 5,749,162 3,540,884

2010 10,586,972 86,073 5,958,887 4,628,085

2011 6,584,483 53,101 3,449,607 3,134,876

2012 11,390,780 102,620 6,158,718 5,232,062

2013 9,259,318 91,676 4,678,720 4,580,598

2014 8,246,689 70,485 5,657,845 2,588,844

2015 9,137,065 92,294 6,980,198 2,156,867

2016 4,224,139 82,826 3,231,189 992,950

2016 to date


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Financial Year Development Values

Year

Total Development

Value $

Average Development Value

$


Value $

Complying Development

Value $

2005-2006 6,090,640 39,808 6,090,640 -

2006-2007 6,302,833 38,668 6,302,833 -

2007-2008 8,128,806 52,444 8,128,806 -

2008-2009 8,095,812 61,332 4,588,050 3,507,762

2009-2010 12,395,113 77,469 7,121,590 5,273,523

2010-2011 8,212,500 73,986 5,023,347 3,189,153

2011-2012 5,986,330 53,449 3,667,764 2,318,566

2012-2013 12,339,996 101,983 6,100,857 6,239,139

2013-2014 8,296,829 76,118 4,653,404 3,643,425

2014-2015 9,779,535 109,917 6,392,261 3,387,274

2015-2016 7,560,263 76,366 6,393,433 1,166,830

2016-2017 1,408,203 46,940 967,016 441,187

2016-2017 to date

Lapsing Applications

The review on expiring development and complying development applications has been carried out for those applications lapsing during March 2017. In March 2012 six (6) applications were approved, with one (1) application identified as possibly not commencing as at the end of September 2016.

Approved Dwellings 2006-2016

17

19

26

21

27

16

27 26

29

27

12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Nu

mb

er

of

Dw

ellin

gs

Year

Approved Dwellings in Uralla Shire

Updated 30 September 2016


59


KEY ISSUES:

Development Applications approved by Council for September 2016 – 9

Development Applications refused by Council for September 2016 – 0

Development Applications withdrawn by Applicant for September 2016 – 0

Outstanding Development Applications as at 30 September 2016 – 8

Construction Certificates approved by Council for September 2016 – 4

Construction Certificates refused by Council for September 2016 – 0

Construction Certificates issued by private certification for September 2016 – 3

Complying Development Applications approved by Council for September 2016 – 1

Complying Development Applications refused by Council for September 2016 – 0

Complying Development Applications issued by private certification – 1

Total Development Value for 2016 as at 30 September 2016 – $4,224,139

Average Development Value for 2016 as at 30 September 2016 – $82,826

Development Application Value for 2016 as at 30 September 2016 – $3,231,189

Complying Development Application Value for 2016 as at 30 September 2016 – $992,950

Applications lapsing in September 2016 that may not have commenced – 1

Approved dwellings as at 30 September 2016 – 12 COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) The Development Approvals and Refusals for September will be placed in the next available newsletter and uploaded to the Uralla Shire Council website.

2. Policy and Regulation Environmental Planning & Assessment Act, 1979. Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulations, 2000.

3. Financial (LTFP) Nil

4. Asset Management (AMS) Nil

5. Workforce (WMS) Nil

6. Legal and Risk Management Nil

7. Performance Measures Nil

8. Project Management Nil

Prepared by staff member: Administration Officer TRIM Reference Number: U12/168 Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:

Director Infrastructure & Regulation Infrastructure & Regulation

Attachments: Nil


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Interim Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.02 Subject: Works Progress Report as at 30 September 2016

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Goal: 2.3 A safe and efficient network of arterial roads and supporting infrastructure; and

town streets, footpaths and cycleways that are adequate, interconnected and maintained

Strategy: 2.3.1 Provide an effective road network that balances asset conditions with available resources and asset utilisation

Action: 2.3.1.1 Undertake bitumen maintenance program in line with established service levels and intervention points

2.3.1.5 Undertake maintenance grading program in line with established service levels and intervention points

SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to inform Council of the works that have been completed or progressed for the previous month and works being undertaken in the current month, together with the year’s Capital Works Program. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the report be received and noted for the works completed or progressed during September 2016, and works programmed for October 2016. BACKGROUND: Council is kept informed on the progress of maintenance and construction works within the Shire. REPORT: A. Works Undertaken in September 2016

1. Main Road Maintenance MR73 Thunderbolts Way North

and South Patching, Guide posts

MR124 Bundarra Road Patching, Guide posts MR132 Barraba Road Maintenance

2. Sealed Roads Maintenance

Uralla Streets Patching


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Bundarra Town Area Patching Invergowrie Area Patching Kentucky/Wollun Area Patching Sealed Rural Roads Patching

3. Unsealed Roads Maintenance

Grading

Box Forest Road Graded Warrabah Road Graded Carlowrie Road Graded Woodlands Road Graded Ferris Lane Graded Lawson Road

Devoncourt Road Wooldridge Reserve Quartz Gully Road Racecourse Lagoon Road Rock Abbey Road Leece Road Salisbury Plains Road Gap Road

Graded Graded Graded Graded Graded Graded Graded Graded Grading

4. Construction Crew

MR73 Thunderbolts Way Continue construction north of Bundarra Sports Ground

5. Bridge / Sign Crew

Uralla Commence kerb and gutter Fitzroy Street and Wilkens Street.

6. Town Area

Uralla General maintenance.

B. Works to be continued/undertaken in October 2016

1. Main Road Maintenance Bitumen patching Guide posting Sign maintenance

2. Sealed Roads Maintenance

Bitumen patching Guide posting

3. Unsealed Roads Maintenance Bundarra Area

Invergowrie Area Uralla Area Kentucky Area

Grade and regravelling Grade Grade Grade

4. Bridge/Sign Crew

Uralla Complete Kerb and Gutter Construction Fitzroy and Wilkens Streets. Commence shared path Maitland Street

Bridges Maintenance


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5. Construction

MR73 Thunderbolts Way Complete rehabilitation works north of Bundarra. Commence rehabilitation works Uralla Lookout Road section.

6. Town Area

Routine maintenance

C. Capital Works

Attached is the Schedule of Capital Works contained in the 2016/17 Operational Plan. KEY ISSUES: NIL COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) Nil

2. Policy and Regulation Nil

3. Financial (LTFP) In accordance with budget

4. Asset Management (AMS) In accordance with asset management plan

5. Workforce (WMS) Council staff and contractors

6. Legal and Risk Management Maintaining Council assets to minimise legal and risk exposure.

7. Performance Measures Works completed to appropriate standards

8. Project Management Manager Infrastructure and Works and Overseer

Prepared by staff member: Works Manager Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:

Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Infrastructure & Regulation

Attachments: D. Capital Works Progress


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BudgetBudgeted

Grant Income

Grant Income Received

Actual Exp to date Variation Status Commentary

Infrastructure & RegulationI&R Management

Plant replacement program 700,000 146,890 6% Carry over purchase of roller, backhoe, truck and water truck. Tenders received and plant ordered .Roller and backhoe delivered.

Works Depot ‐

Works & CivilStormwater drainage 11,921 NilBridges ‐ Local

Abington Creek Bridge Project 1,410,000 1,410,000 1,164,500 98% Bridge officially opened by Roads Minister Duncan Gay in presence of Senator John Williams, local state member Adam Marshall, and Mayor on 28 June 2016. Demolition of old bridge completed. Removal of old road and side track to be done together with site rehabilitation.

Mihi Bridge ‐ R2R 520,000 Nil 5% Design complete. Specifications and tender documents being prepared. Expected that tenders will be called in late 2016.

Munsies Bridge ‐ R2R 800,000 245 5% Design complete. Specifications and tender documents being prepared. Expected that tenders will be called in October 2016.

Funded in 2015/16 545,816‐ MR 73 Thunderbolts Way ‐ Northof Bundarra 344,750 315,796 MR 73 Thunderbolts Way ‐ Lookout Road Nil

Bridges ‐ Regional ‐ Footpaths

Post office path & footpath renewal program 36,726 Nil 0% Planned for October 2016Kerb & Gutter 39,700 11,308 0% Works commenced in Fitzroy and Wilkens Streets.Local Urban Streets including Urban Facilities & Bus Shelters 45,000 NilRegional Rural Sealed Roads

Sealed road reseal program 240,344 80,018 Approx 0% Schedule being undertaken for February 2017.

Rehabilitation Bundarra Road ‐ Rocklea Road 352,000 0% Planned for March 2017 Bundarra Road curve improvement ‐ Blackspot Rocklea Road 83,496 0% Planned for March 2017

Regional Rural Unsealed Roads ‐ Regravel 18,144 Nil

Project Name

CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAM MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT

As at 30 September 2016


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BudgetBudgeted

Grant Income


Actual Exp to date Variation Status CommentaryProject Name



Sealed Rural Roads Bingara Road ‐ 2km seal section ‐ R2R 420,000 7,716 Planned for January 2017 Jacksons Road ‐ 640 Metre seal 150,000 Nil Planned for June 2017 Saumarez War Service Road ‐ 350 metre seal 150,000 Nil 2017/2018 Reseal program 380,000 Nil Planned for February 2017 Carried over to 2018 242,064‐

857,936

Unsealed Rural Roads 375,731 Bike Track

Bike track extension Maitland Street 58,000 3,895 Planned for October 2016

Facilities & Open Space Halls & Community Centres Refurbishment 15,000 Nil Council Administration Building Refurbishment 15,000 Nil Caravan Parks & Camping Grounds ‐ Purchase land 35,000 Nil Land purchased from DPI re road closure & permissive occupancy land

(between $20K and $50K) Uralla Sporting Complex ‐ change rooms and amenities 131,800 131,800 57,400 9,063 Estimate based on design $280K. Design to be readdressed.

Uralla Sporting Complex ‐ hard courts 70,000 25,000 65,978 80% Works to resurface courts complete. Marking to be finalised following receipt of advice from users.

Planning & Regulation Town Planning Office ‐

Waste Waste Collection ‐ 16,743 Waste Disposal Site ‐ Baler 350,000 Specification being prepared and quotes sought. Baler ordered ‐ cost

$120,000

Environmental Management Solar panels 47,226 2,000 Quotes called and assessed; decision made for preferred supplier

Water Upgrade electrical/mechanical ‐ Uralla 170,000 Nil Upgrade electrical/mechanical ‐ Bundarra 60,000 Nil


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BudgetBudgeted

Grant Income


Actual Exp to date Variation Status CommentaryProject Name



Sewer Upgrade electrical/mechanical 105,000 Nil

Community ServicesCommunity Development

Visitor Information Centre Relocation Project 180,000 20,225 5% Detailed costing prepared. Council to further consider the matter.

McMaugh Gardens IT upgrades 30,000 Nil

PropertyGrace Munro

Fire sprinkler upgrade 150,000 104,445 5% Sprinkler system upgrade designed and tendered. Tender accepted by council on 25 July 2016. Work to be completed October 2016. Other minor works to proceed jointly with sprinkler upgrade.

McMaugh Gardens Fire sprinkler upgrade 169,632 194,028 100% Sprinkler system upgrade complete. System tested satisfactorily and

certification issued. Department of Planning informed. Occupation certificate issued.

6,876,590


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.03 Subject: Heritage Advisory Services Summary – October 2016

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Objective: 3.1 To preserve, protect and renew our beautiful natural environment Strategy: 3.1.3 Protect the shires historic buildings and sites, recognising their value to the

community Action: 3.1.3.1 Administer a Heritage Advisory Service and Local Heritage Assistance Fund

SUMMARY: This is a report summarising the report from Council’s Heritage Advisor, Mr Mitch McKay, of his monthly visit undertaken for October on 11 October 2016. His next visit will be 8 November 2016. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the Heritage Advisory Services Summary dated 11 October 2016 be received and noted by Council. BACKGROUND: The Heritage Advisory Services Summary is put to Council for information purposes each month. The Heritage Advisor’s services are offered free to all residents of Uralla Shire to discuss heritage conservation and development within Uralla Shire. REPORT: A summary of the Heritage Advisor’s October 2016 visit, which occurred on 11 October 2016, is attached. KEY ISSUES: Nil


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1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) Free Heritage service offered to community to improve and promote heritage within Uralla Shire








Prepared by staff member: Manager of Planning & Regulation TRIM Reference Number: U12/6769 Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:


Attachments: E. Heritage Advisory Services Summary dated 11 October 2016


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HERITAGE ADVISORY MEMO No. 44 Date: 11 October 2016

ITEM 1: Convict Kitty Gallagher research

Council has received a request from Mr. Roy Cameron of Coolah seeking information about a convict by the name of Kitty Gallagher whom he believes died at Bundarra/Clerkness c1875.

I had a telephone conversation with Mr. Cameron the purpose of which was to ascertain where he is up to with his research and whom he has made contact with from this area.

ITEM 2: 80A Bridge Street, Uralla

Reviewed under awning sign proposal for The Uralla Print Gallery which will be subject to a Development Application.

The lettering style and logo of the proposed sign is considered acceptable, however, the background colour could be darker than the proposed Taubman’s Red Licorice and this would make the lettering and logo stand out more.

ITEM 3: St Joseph’s School - 1 Maitland Street and 14 Bridge St, Uralla

Met with Judy Elks, Principal, and Kerrie Biddle office manager on site.

The property which is identified as the Roman Catholic Church Group is listed as a heritage item of local significance in Uralla LEP 2012 (I20, I21, I22, I23 and I24) and is within the Uralla CBD Conservation Area. It has also been identified in Stage 2 of the Uralla Community Based Heritage Study (SHI 2540002).

Items I21 and I22 relate to the school.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an external colour scheme for the school.

ITEM 4: Maitland Street, Uralla

Met with Kent Mayo onsite in Maitland Street.

Mr. Mayo wished to raise concerns of a proposed cycleway for the eastern side of Maitland Street that he believes would destroy the aesthetics of the streetscape if it were located 2.5m back from the kerb.

The proposed cycleway would link into an existing concrete cycleway on the eastern side of the street north of Hill Street.

ITEM 5: Next Heritage Advisor visit

It is proposed that the Heritage Advisor’s next visit will be 8 November 2016.


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.04 Subject: Nomination of members to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Goal: 2.1 Uralla Shire’s natural beauty and distinct natural environment are protected for

future generations. Strategy: 2.1.4 Provide balanced and environmentally sensitive development. Action: 2.1.4.1 Assess and determine regulatory applications, including development applications,

complying development certificates, construction certificates, Section 68 certificates, Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Certificates, and Conveyancing Certificates

SUMMARY: The appointment of the new Council means Council needs to nominate new appointees to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP). Council is now required to appoint two new local members. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION:

1. That Council nominate a Councillor as one of the Council appointed members to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel.

2. That Council’s General Manager, Mr Andrew Hopkins be nominated as the second Council appointed member and planning expert on the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel.

3. That Council nominate a Councillor as an alternate appointee to serve on the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel in the event that the nominated members are unable to sit on the JRPP through absence or conflict of interest.

4. That the Minister for Planning be notified accordingly. 5. That the nominated members be appointed for a 3 year period.

BACKGROUND: In 2009 the NSW Government established JRPPs to determine regionally significant development applications and to advise on regionally significant planning or development matters or environmental planning instruments. Through the JRPPs the NSW Government aims to provide greater transparency, objectivity, independence and expertise for regional planning issues. The JRPP consists of three state members who are appointed by the Minister and two local members who are appointed by the Council. The term of the appointment for local members of the JRPP is three years except where a Council election intervenes, in which case new appointments need to be made.


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REPORT: The regional panels provide independent, merit based decision making on regional development. The core functions of JRPPs are -

1. To exercise certain consent authority functions in regard to regional development applications; and

2. Where requested, advise the NSW Minister for Planning on planning or development matters or environmental planning instruments in respect to the JRPPs’ region.

Development Applications for projects classed as regional development are assessed by Council officers. The Council officer’s assessment and recommendations are then referred to a JRPP for determination. Regional panels consist of five members comprising:

- one (1) chair (appointed by Minister); - two (2) experts (appointed by Minister) - two (2) Council appointed members. At least one Council member is required to have expertise in one or more of the following areas: planning, architecture, heritage, the environment, urban design, land economics, traffic and transport, law, engineering or tourism.

Council also needs to nominate an alternate member to sit on the Panel in the event that either of the nominated members are unable to attend the JRPP through absence or conflict of interest. All members of JRPPs will be expected to act independently in reaching their decisions. Therefore, in determining nominees, Council should consider the potential for conflicts of interest, either real or perceived. The JRPP have a Code of Conduct that sets out standards of conduct expected of all JRPP members. KEY ISSUES: The appointment of the new Council means Council needs to nominate new appointees to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP). CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the Council appoint a Councillor as a panel member and that a second Councillor be appointed as an alternate member. It is also recommended that Mr Andrew Hopkins, Council’s General Manager, be appointed as an ‘expert’ appointee as he has extensive planning experience and meets the expert selection criteria. Once adopted by Council the nominations are then notified to the Minister. The Northern JRPP will determine regionally significant development applications and advise on regionally significant planning or development matters or environmental planning instruments for the Uralla Shire local government area.


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3. Financial (LTFP) The NSW Government covers the costs of State members and the Panel Secretariat. Individual councils cover the cost of their council nominated representatives and other council costs from the development application fees received and retained by councils. Previous advice from the Minister for Planning outlining payments to members appointed by Council to the JRPP indicated the following:

“Remuneration Community members: Each council may determine an appropriate level of remuneration for that person, by arrangement with that member, but that a meeting fee not exceeding $1400 should be considered as a guide when determining appropriate remuneration rates. This is commensurate with the fee proposed for State appointed members.”

It is proposed that no additional payment beyond existing Councillor entitlements be paid to nominated Councillor members. In accordance, with the Department of Premier and Cabinet Guidelines for NSW Board and Committee Members: Appointment and Remuneration, payments should not be made to council staff or Public Sector employees.



6. Legal and Risk Management Council must appoint two members to sit on the JRPP.



Prepared by staff member: Manager Planning and Regulation Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:


Attachments:

Nil


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure and Regulation Submitted by: Environmental Management Coordinator Reference: 2.25.10.05 Subject: State of Environment Report

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Objective: 4.2 An effective and efficient organisation Strategy: 4.2.7 Ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements and that operations are

supported by effective corporate governance. Action: Complete the State of Environment Report within the reporting timeframe. SUMMARY: This report introduces the Uralla Shire Council 2012 – 2016 State of Environment Report. The Report will be submitted to the Department of Local Government as part of the Annual Report for 2016. It is a requirement that a State of Environment Report be submitted in the year an election is held. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION:

That Council:

1. Adopt the Uralla Shire Council 2012 – 2016 State of Environment Report; and 2. Submit the report to the Department of Local Government as part of the End of Term

reporting process. BACKGROUND:

A State of Environment Report (SoE) is a statement summarising the activities relevant to the environmental goals of the Community Strategic Plan undertaken by Council during its term.

The aims of an SoE are given in Section 428 A of the Local Government Act as:

“(a) establish relevant environmental indicators for each environmental objective, and (b) report on, and update trends in, each such environmental indicator, and (c) identify all major environmental impacts (being events and activities that have a major impact on environmental objectives).”


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REPORT:

This SoE report covers the period 2012 – 2016. It briefly showcases the actions which Uralla Shire Council, in partnership with our residents, community groups and other agencies, is implementing in order to reduce the impact environmental problems we experience in the Shire.

A comprehensive examination of all the environmental issues affecting the Shire, their causes and the responses required to control them, is beyond the scope of the SoE (and the resources of Council). Council is only one of many agencies with responsibilities for managing the quality and health of our environment. Council is required to outline our response to those matters raised in the Environmental Goals of the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) only.

Council is subject to environmental legislation: as examples, landfill sites, sewerage and water treatment facilities are licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While the Local Government Charter directs that Local Government operations and decision making are guided by the principals of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD).

Council has complied with the environmental conditions of licensed facilities. Progress continues with construction best practice. Staffing changes around Waste Management have seen changes to service levels particularly in respect to community education and engagement. The EnviroMentors program can be re-instated and Council can begin to re-engage with community programs and initiatives to promote waste reduction and recycling.

The SoE is a tool to review how successfully Council is progressing toward the CSP goals, and in doing so identify corrective action and new pathways and actions (where required) toward achieving improved environmental outcomes across the Shire. KEY ISSUES:

Internally, more work is required to horizontally integrate environmental management considerations across all Community Strategic Plan goals, Council’s business units, staff responsibilities and the actions articulated in the four year Delivery and annual Operational plans. Direct connections between all CSP objectives and their environmental impacts need to be clearly recognised. Additional policy (for example in relation to climate change or emissions) with clear targets and timeframes can help fill in some of the gaps.

Traditionally, many of the environmental programs undertaken by Council evolved from community interest and/or seed partnerships. Over the past four years there has been a particular emphasis on Natural Resource Management (specifically Bush Regeneration) and energy production and use (as with the Zero Net Energy Town Uralla project). This work needs to be maintained to ensure continuity and positive impact at the same time as expanding the scope of management programs to cover matters that require attention (air quality and smoky chimney’s for example).

More work is required to define suitable environmental indicators and to collect data in a more coherent manner. This data should feed directly back into Executive reviews of the relevant Operational and Delivery plan to track, at annual and then four year intervals, the environmental impact or success of a given program in achieving environmental objectives.

CONCLUSION:

That the Uralla Shire Council 2012 – 2016 State of Environment Report is adopted and this report noted.


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7. Performance Measures Submission of the Uralla Shire Council 2012 – 2016 State of Environment Report is required as part of the End of Term reporting process in the transition to a new Council term.


Prepared by staff member: Environmental Management Coordinator


Department:

Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation

Infrastructure and Regulation

Attachments:

F. Uralla Shire Council 2012 – 2016 State of Environment Report


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Uralla Shire Council – State of the Environment Report 2012‐2016

2012 ‐ 2016 State of the

Environment Report


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Uralla Shire Council – State of the Environment Report 2012‐2016

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................ 1

What is a “State of Environment Report” and how do we use it? ................................................... 1

Overview: Major Environmental Impacts in the Shire ..................................................................... 1

ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND STRATEGIES ............................................................................................ 5

GOAL 3.1: HERITAGE ................................................................................................................................ 7

GOAL 3.1, 3.4: WATER QUALITY ONSITE SEWER MANAGEMENT ............................................................ 9

GOAL 3.1: BUSH REGENERATION ........................................................................................................... 10

GOAL 3.1: NEW ENGLAND WEEDS AUTHORITY ..................................................................................... 12

GOAL 3.1, 3.2: URBAN SPACES ............................................................................................................... 14

GOAL 3.2: ZERO NET ENERGY TOWN URALLA (Z‐NET URALLA) ............................................................. 15

GOAL 3.2: AMENDMENTS TO THE URALLA LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN (LEP) 2012 ....................... 17

GOAL 3.3: WASTE SERVICES ................................................................................................................... 19

GOAL 3.3: SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 21

GOAL 3.3: SUSTAINABLY TRANSPORTING THE COMMUNITY ................................................................ 22

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 23


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Uralla Shire Council – State of the Environment Report 2012‐2016 1

OVERVIEW What is a “State of Environment Report” and how do we use it? A State of Environment Report (SoE) is a statement summarising the activities relevant to the environmental goals of the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) that have been undertaken by Council during its term.

The aims of an SoE are given in Section 428 A of the Local Government Act as:

(a) to establish relevant environmental indicators for each environmental objective, and

(b) to report on, and update trends in, each such environmental indicator, and

(c) to identify all major environmental impacts (being events and activities that have a major impact on environmental objectives).

The State of Environment Report should be used to review how successfully we are progressing toward the CSP goals, and in doing so identify corrective action, new pathways and actions (where required) toward achieving improved environmental outcomes across the Shire.

This State of Environment Report will accompany the Uralla Shire Council Annual Report for 2016 and as part of the end of term documents.

Structure of this report

This report covers the period 2012 – 2016. To help us understand the relevant environmental issues the report begins with an Overview of the Major Environmental Impacts followed by a list of the relevant goals from the CSP. The report then showcases the responses which Council, in partnership with our residents, community groups and other agencies, is implementing in order to reduce the impact of environmental issues, and in some cases, make our lifestyles more sustainable.

Limitations of this report

A comprehensive examination of all the environmental issues affecting the Shire, their causes and the responses required to control them, is beyond the scope of this report. Council is only one of many agencies with responsibilities for managing the quality and health of our environment.

This report acknowledges that without partnerships with our community, other State and Federal agencies, Council would be unable to provide the levels of environmental management that we currently maintain.

Overview: Major Environmental Impacts in the Shire Biodiversity loss

Uralla Shire crosses a geographic transition from the New England Tablelands landscape in the east to the edge of the Western Slopes and Plains. This complex and beautiful landscape (known as the New England Tableland Bioregion) covers physical, social and administrative boundaries that characterise specific environmental assets and issues. The region is botanically significant due to its high plant species diversity and high level of endemism. For example a third of the regions eucalypts are endemic to the bioregion. 68 species of plant are listed under the schedules of the Threatened Species Act, 30 are listed as endangered, 39 are listed as vulnerable.

A considerable proportion of the New England Tableland Bioregion (57.95%) has been cleared of its native canopy vegetation, making it the fourth highest cleared region in NSW. In addition clearing has been spread across most of the different types of vegetation found within it. These landscapes are under represented in the National Parks and Nature Reserves system meaning that any remaining healthy native vegetation communities on either public or private land are of particular importance.


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Portions of the Shire remain well timbered. For example, well‐timbered woodland country still remains on Crown lands and some freehold country in the western area of the Shire. In keeping with geographical variations different parts of the Shire are dominated by different communities. The central Shire is dominated by White Box (sometimes also Grey Box), with Mugga Ironbark on stony rises, and Yellow Box and Blakely’s Red Gum on lower slopes. The timbered country north along the New England Highway are dominated by Yellow Box and Blakely’s Red Gum, Rough‐barked Apple and Apple Box; with New England Stringybark on hills or New England Peppermint, Ribbon Gum, Mountain White Gum or occasional Black Sallee or Snow Gum in lower areas.

The rate of clearing and loss of ecosystems has not been even across the Shire, pockets of land remain in very good ecological condition (generally on more inaccessible land or land that is not considered to be very productive). In addition there is a significant section of the landholding community willing and able to halt ecological loss on their land and work to restore ecological health. The area of Crown lands in the Shire have suffered a mixed effect through direct management (Tremont, 2014).

Rivers

Uralla Shire in on the northern edge of the Murray Darling Basin. Rivers and creeks flowing west and south flow directly into this system via the Gwydir River, while rivers to the east of the divide flow into the Macleay. Water quality issues for downstream communities on these systems begin within the Uralla Shire headwaters of these rivers. Matters include weed management, modification of channel, sedimentation and chemical use. On site sewerage management is particularly relevant to catchment water quality health.

Wetlands

Uralla is home to a number of wetlands which form a complex of at least 58 surviving wetlands distributed around the New England Tablelands (Bell et al., 2008), this group of wetlands is known as the ‘Upland wetlands of the drainage divide of the New England Tablelands Bioregion’.

Upland wetlands are important habitat for birds, including international migrating species, mammals, reptiles and fish. Notable upland wetlands include Dangar’s Lagoon, Racecourse Lagoon, Thomas Lagoon, Barleyfieid’s Lagoon, Kentucky and Taylors Lagoons.

Species known to be present at Racecourse Lagoon for example include: the eastern water rat (Rakali), dragon fly, tiger snake, yellow spotted bell frog, eastern snake necked turtle, Australian grebe, Latham’s Snipe; international visitors red‐necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) from Arctic, Marsh Sandpipers (Tringa stagnatilis) from Austria.

Very few of the wetlands of this type have any formalised protection. Regionally, the number of wetlands lost as a consequence of changes to their hydrology, landscape disturbance, landscape clearing, feral animals (e.g. rabbits, foxes, mosquito fish/gambusia) and weeds (e.g. blackberry), changes in rainfall patterns, aquifer extraction, and poor management is unknown. The majority of remaining wetlands are highly modified, and their vegetation communities under threat (Bell et al., 2008).

The NSW Scientific Committee believed that listing the group was warranted given that this group “is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate”.

In 2005 Racecourse lagoon was included in a listing for the ‘Upland wetlands of the New England Tablelands and Monaro Plateau’, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999. This was due to “their restricted distribution and vulnerability to ongoing threats.” Their listing “recognises that their long‐term survival is under threat” and aims to “prevent further decline, and assist community and land manger efforts toward the recover of the ecological community.”


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Waste and Recycling

The most familiar example of how our lifestyles impact on the quality and health of our environment is through the amount of rubbish we produce in our homes. Waste production and management issues are directly related to population growth and our economic prosperity. That is, the more affluent we become the more waste we produce.

Waste refers to the organic and inorganic things we throw away: everything from cotton buds to the scraps from our kitchen, the objects we find in the depths of our garage to the weeds we pull from our garden.

The environmental and health impacts of waste occur across the life cycle of those wasted things. In understanding the full impact of waste we should think about the environmental impact of the extraction process for the minerals and resources used to make the product; the environmental impact of transporting those materials through the different stages of production and about the amount of energy and water that went into manufacturing it at each stage.

A full appreciation of the impact of waste is not complete without considering what we do with the bits of those products that we throw away. The waste disposal process itself has implications for land, water and air quality; and there is an increasing environmental and economic cost to local communities who bear the burden of waste management and disposal.

To reduce the amount of waste entering landfill Council aims to increase recycling rates and reduce waste to landfill in line with State targets. Offering a broad range of services with an emphasis on increasing recycling encourages recycling in preference to disposal.

Waste and Recycling Services

Levels of recycling are dependent on residents’ participation in source separation at home or in the business, and the extent to which residents and businesses sort waste at the Waste Management Facilities.

Council currently offers the following waste services: kerbside waste in 140L bins, kerbside recycling in comingled 240L bins, drop off recycling points at two landfills, three recycling stations, kerbside commercial recycling collection, voluntary kerbside garden organics collection in Uralla township only, second hand items suitable for reuse and sale (Uralla Landfill and Recycling Facility), participation in annual Chemical Collection, batteries, oil (engine and cooking), fluorescent lighting, sharps, chemical drums (DrumMuster), e‐waste, ferrous and non‐ferrous metal, delivered non‐putrescible garden organic waste, wood waste (mix of virgin and manufactured 2nd hand timbers), Virgin Excavated Natural Material (VENM) and Excavated Natural Material (ENM), tyres (all sizes), mattresses, dead animal disposal, and asbestos disposal (Uralla Landfill only).

Council does not charge for green waste, metal waste or op‐shop suitable items.

Council operates a licensed landfill in Uralla, and unlicensed landfill in Bundarra, a waste transfer station in Kingstown. There are recycling stations located in the township of Bundarra, and Kentucky. Council owns and operates a Community Recycling Centre in Uralla.

Council undertakes all kerbside collection services for the Shire and has the contract for Walcha Council domestic kerbside collection services. All recyclable material collected at kerbside and from commercial services in Walcha and Uralla is processed in Uralla.

The Uralla Shire Landfill and Community Recycling Centre operates a small Op‐Shop, owned and run internally by Council. Computer Bank New England (CBNE) are a not‐for profit organisation that for the last five years have been recovering materials from all forms of e‐waste. CBNE integrate their activities into the National Computer & Television Recycling Scheme and assist Waste Services and load PCs and TVs into stillages ready for collection.


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Climate Change

Modelling for the Tablelands suggests that by 2039 the Shire will be experiencing hotter longer summers with more days of extreme heat, warmer nights, fewer frosts, changed rainfall patterns and more frequent and longer dry spells. These changes are generally agreed to be underway with their magnitude modelled into the future from 2039.

The implications of these changes are not fully realised but will include a series of direct and indirect impacts affecting land management, farming, biodiversity and water resources. There are also implications for emergency management and the health services sector. We are well within the planning framework required for developing responses to these changes. Changes to Natural Resource Management, community planning, housing and community services will be required. Such changes need to be driven by Federal and State policy, but much work can be done at a local level to move toward adaptation of the change we are locked into and to prevent any additional climate forcing.

The Zero Net Energy Town Uralla (Z‐NET Uralla) project in particular provides a local mechanism by which the community can address the impact of our electricity sector. Council is working to adopt practice and policy that reflects and parallels community efforts.

Partners

Partnerships are essential to our ability to achieve positive environmental change. It makes creative, financial and logistical sense to combine effort. Many projects Council is involved with over time have originated from community ideas or partnerships. Our partners include community groups; schools, education centres and other non‐governmental entities; regional councils; state and federal departments and business. Many residents participate and volunteer their time on projects. Indeed, many of the project ideas and activities undertaken over recent years have been generated from within the community.

Council works primarily with urban‐based residents and groups in implementing conservation and rehabilitation projects on public lands. Key project sites include Alma Park, Uralla and Rocky Creeks, Mt Mutton, The Glen, Bundarra Nature Park and Racecourse Lagoon.

The support Council provides any project varies from staff time to help with funding applications, project design and planning or communication on behalf of a group. Where possible, Council provides direct contributing funding, and/or in‐kind support with machinery and/or materials. The Bush Regeneration team has made significant contributions to a number of Rivercare and Landcare funded projects. Often council will assist to maintain the works within the project.

Council works in partnership with a number of agencies the New England Weeds Authority to control noxious weeds across the Shire. Council is one of the 13 member Councils who make up the Northern Inland Regional Waste Group (NIRW). The NIRW vision is to support regional collaboration across the northern inland through the consolidation of a regional approach to waste management and resource recovery. This leads to the improved provision of services, infrastructure, education and measured cost efficiencies for all.


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ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND STRATEGIES

3.1 To preserve, protect and renew our beautiful natural environment

Strategies: 3.1.1 Record and promote the region's heritage in

partnership with the community. 3.1.2 Naturally beautify our parks, gardens, open

spaces, town entrances and street scapes. 3.1.3 Protect the Shire's historic buildings and sites,

recognising their value to the community. 3.1.4 Protect and maintain a healthy catchment

and waterways 3.1.5 Raise community awareness of

environmental and biodiversity issues.

A Chocolate Vanilla Lily

Alma Park

3.2 Maintain a healthy balance between development and the environment

Strategies: 3.2.1 Retain open space and greenbelts that are

accessible to everyone. 3.2.2 Educate the community about sustainable

practices in the home, at work and in public places.

3.2.3 Ensure that Uralla Shire is sufficiently prepared to deal with natural disasters including bushfires, major storms and flood events.


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3.3 Reuse, recycle and reduce waste

Strategies: 3.3.1 Promote recycling and reuse, and provide

regular and efficient waste and recycling services.

3.3.2 Provide education to the community on ways to minimise the waste produced by households.

3.3.3 Implement initiatives to reduce illegal dumping and provide community education to prevent litter.

3.3.4 Identify and implement water conservation and sustainable water usage practices in council operations.

3.3.5 Identify technologies in Council's facilities, infrastructure and service delivery to reduce our ecological footprint.

The 2015 Garage Sale Trail

Drinking water

3.4 Secure sustainable and environmentally sound water‐cycle infrastructure and services

Strategies: 3.4.1 Maintain and renew water network

infrastructure to ensure the provision of secure, quality and reliable drinking water supplies.

3.4.2 Maintain and renew the sewerage network infrastructure to ensure the provision of efficient and environmentally‐sound sewerage services.

3.4.3 Ensure adequate stormwater and drainage infrastructure is provided, maintained and renewed.


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GOAL 3.1: HERITAGE

Commencing in 2012 a Community Based Heritage Study identified places of historical value to the Uralla Shire district. The Community Based Heritage Study’s purpose was to investigate, identify, and then assess, items and places of heritage significance that still contained the history of the Uralla local government area and is a follow on from the Uralla’s Thematic History completed in 2010. After research and field work, the study described 278 items of significance within Uralla Shire. Summary inventory sheets were created for each heritage item identified. These included heritage assessment and statement of significance. This allowed study‐wide and specific heritage item management and promotional recommendations. Many of the individual items were listed based on environmental importance.

Items of not obvious interest, but vitally important, included the Heritage Conservation Areas that broadly cover symbiotic features of built heritage and landscape to produce areas of significance. These included Bridge Street, Uralla, Gostwyck Street, Uralla and Bendemeer Street, Bundarra. In addition, several areas associated with the infamy of Captain Thunderbolt were listed as State level heritage items, meaning areas along Kentucky creek relating to Thunderbolts Death area, and Thunderbolts Rock are now listed and protected as places of importance at a state level.

Such studies are important as it provides information for the future management and protection of heritage items.

The study is a living document that can be modified and added to on a continual basis. They also allows education programs to be designed to raise awareness about the community’s heritage assets, for better understanding and appreciation while community engagement increased the sense of ownership of heritage assets

Likewise heritage tourism can be used to generate business in the local area, via carefully managed special heritage places. Most importantly, it helps shape the community’s sense of identity by exploring its beginnings, the present and its potential.

The next phase is the inclusion of 210 items identified in the study, but not already in the LEP to be included through a planning proposal. This will allow legislated protection to reduce intentional loss of features for all included items of significance.

Environmental items identified in the study:

Roadside vegetation.

Mountains and nature reserves.

Lagoons and wetland areas.

Water falls and creek feature areas.

Avenues of trees.

Gardens around private homes.

Rural Stations and Homestead Complexes.

Public congregating areas such as parks, church grounds, cemeteries, railway stations.

Remnant trees and locations of once important places.

INDICATORS

1. Number of properties listed as “environmental heritage”.

Trend: increasing.

2. Number of items listed in the State Heritage Inventory.

Trend: increasing

CSP GOAL

3.1 To preserve, protect and renew our beautiful natural environment.

STRATEGIES

3.1.1 Record and promote the region's heritage in partnership with the community.

3.1.3 Protect the Shire's historic buildings and sites, recognising their value to the community.


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COMMUNITY HERITAGE STUDY CASE STUDIES Linfield Enmore Road Reserve

Road side reserves comprise 5% of the total land area of New South Wales. Much of the road reserves around Uralla have been cleared or are infested with weeds. Of the remaining sites at least twenty have bio‐diversity, cultural and historical significance. Many have aesthetic and recreational value. Where reserves correspond to land with similar value the reserves augment those values. Linear reserves are often the only native seed source in a heavily cleared landscape. Their presence acts as a buffer against weeds and pests. Some provide privacy, shelter and shade for nearby residents. Many linear reserves correspond to Travelling Stock Routes and often are grazed.

The lagoon is highly valued by the community as demonstrated by programs to manage stock in the adjoining travelling stock route, to fence the lagoon and to re‐establish a wildlife corridor with native vegetation. The name has historic associations with the local pioneer Henry Arding Thomas as part of 'Saumarez' Station, and more recently conservation practices by the Reid family. Thomas Lagoon has landmark, historical, aesthetic, social, research, rarity and representative significance.

Thomas lagoon

Thomas' Lagoon (pictured below) is a temporary wetland within which plants and animals are dependent to some degree on water to complete their life cycles. It is an ‘Endangered Ecological Community’ (EEC) under Federal and State Legislation, and part of an inter‐connected group of wetlands known as 'The Upland Wetlands of the Drainage Divide of the New England Tablelands Bio‐region'. Thomas Lagoon provides habitat and refuge for a variety of animals.

The Linfield Enmore road reserve (photo on the right) is a road reserve of High Conservation Value due to the presence of New England Peppermint Grassy Woodland. This community is listed as ‘critically endangered’ under the Environmental Protection and Bio‐diversity Conservation Act 1999 and as ‘endangered’ under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. It is listed because of its restricted geographical distribution and vulnerability to threatening processes. Overall the reduction in integrity across most of its range is very severe.

PROFILE


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GOAL 3.1, 3.4: WATER QUALITY: ONSITE SEWER MANAGEMENT

There is increasing concern about the quality of local ground and surface water supply in the Shire. Uralla Shire Council falls within the catchment of the Murray Darling Basin, our river systems flow west into this system via the Gwydir and east to the Macleay.

A significant potential source of organic nutrient pollution to waterways comes from poorly operated or maintained on‐site sewerage systems (OSSMs). Nutrients leaking from these systems can seriously affect human health and degrade surface and ground water quality by leading to excessive plant and algae growth and ecosystem imbalance.

Flows of organic pollutants to local waterways can also affect our personal enjoyment of those waterways.

To ensure that all OSSMs are registered and compliant with health and environmental legislation Uralla Shire Council began an inspection program in 2014. All fixed on‐site sewage management facilities that do not discharge to the public sewer system. These are typically found on rural residential or large lot landholdings.

Today there are 1673 registered on‐site sewerage systems in the Shire: 1508 of these are the conventional style septic tank with absorption trench, 129 are aerated waste water treatment systems and 36 are either organic/waterless, composting/wet composting/cess pit, .grey water or pump‐out storage systems.

All Tier 1 (the highest risk) systems, have been inspected annually from 2014. Typical problems with these

systems are found to be: no absorption trench, a failed absorption trench or an insufficient absorption area for the type of soil, proximity to surface water bodies and bores.

To encourage corrective action and compliance Council waived OSSM inspection and Section 68 fees.

If systems are found to be non‐compliant at 5 years from the initial inspection then Council can begin legal action to force compliance.

At the time of writing, 136 septic systems with absorption trenches, and 5 alternative style systems are still considered high risk.

Inspection of the Tier 2 (or medium risk systems)begins this year and is expected to be complete by December 2018. There are 581 of these systems in the Shire.

An example of good OSSM practice. A Reln trench connected to a septic system. The trench is in a long straight line with a 100mm layer of blue metal allowing for greater absorbancy and volume capacity.

INDICATORS

1. Numbers of inspections: high medium and low risk systems.

Trend: increasing.

2. Increase in number of compliant systems at 1, 3 and 5 years from initial inspection.

Trend: increasing.

STRATEGIES

3.1.4 Protect and maintain a healthy catchment and waterways.

CSP GOALS

3.1 To preserve, protect and renew our beautiful environment.

3.4 Secure, sustainable and environmentally sound water‐cycle. infrastructure and services.


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GOAL 3.1: BUSH REGENERATION

‘Bush regeneration’ is the process of restoring natural ecosystems to a state where they can support their own regenerative process. That is, we identify and seek to control the influence of threatening processes such as invasive species (plant and animal) and erosion, and supplement natural recruitment processes with planting or seeding.

The aim is to support an ecosystem to maintain itself in as close to its expected condition as possible. That is, with as many of the natural plant and animal species expected for that community, while preventing any further loss in the health of that community

This does not mean we can return our landscape, or specific sites, to how they were before European settlement the 1800s. Due to the disturbance history at some sites, the current use of a site, the changing nature of our climate, the inevitable continued arrival of weeds and pest species: this is not be possible nor desirable.

What is desirable is to recognise the remaining ability (resilience) of an ecosystem to maintain itself in as close to a healthy condition as possible.

Significant contributions of time and energy are made to Bush Regeneration by the community. Both State and Federal governments provide funds for various bush regeneration and biodiversity conservation programs

Bush regeneration is applied to different types of sites in the shire: from remnant terrestrial bush to wetlands. These sites can generally be considered to have ‘high conservation value’. Examples are Bundarra Nature Park, the Mt Mutton Reserve, the Wooldridge

Recreation and Fossicking Reserve, Racecourse Lagoon, and a series of High Conservation Value Road side vegetation sites.

Uralla Shire Council created a Bush Regeneration Team in 2012. The Team is comprised of two staff working 84 hours per fortnight. The Bush Regeneration Program is paid for by a combination of external grants and the Environmental Levy collected on the Shires rateable properties.

Council supports a volunteer program and is a resource for any resident who needs some help managing vegetation on their property.

Achievements Oversees bush regeneration health care of 151.77 ha of land and over 57 km of road.

Successful treatment of more than 80, 000 m2 (8 ha) of weeds: cotoneaster, blackberry, hawthorn, privet, honeysuckle, whiskey grass, African Lovegrass, Coolatai Grass amongst others.

Improved additional regeneration potential and increased the resilience of 8 ha of land to erosion and for emergence of native species.

Hosted 384 hours of volunteer training and capacity building.

Hosted 69 communications and education events with schools, residents, landholders (approx. 300 people) improving awareness and communications of the values of remnant native vegetation. World Wetlands Day, Bat Night, Woodlands Week.

Ensured the ongoing success of previous projects through follow up maintenance.

CSP GOAL


STRATEGIES


3.1.5 Raise community awareness of environmental and biodiversity issues.

INDICATORS

1. Area of weeds treated.

Trend: increasing.

2. Area of land with improved regeneration potential.

Trend: increasing.

3. Hours of community engagement, training and support.

Tend: increasing.


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WOOLDRIDGE RECREATION AND FOSSICKING RESERVE

The Wooldridge Recreation and Fossicking Reserve is located near the Uralla township and forms part of the historical gold mining precinct adjacent to the town. The Reserve (Crown Reserve No. R91185) was gazetted for Public Recreation on 7 July 1978.

The scenic and environmental quality of the Reserve, with the mix of a small river with permanent water flows and bushland, provides a peaceful and varied setting for fossicking, picnicking, fishing, swimming, walking, walking dogs, environmental and heritage education (e.g. school excursions), bird watching, photography and camping.

Camping at the Reserve is free. On many, perhaps most, nights of the year there are tourists camped by the river, attracted by the easy river access, peaceful bushland environment or lack of a service charge. Many of them contribute to Uralla’s economy by buying provisions or visiting other tourist attractions. Local people also visit the Reserve, usually during the day or early evening.

The Reserve has a diverse native groundcover (grasses and wildflowers) everywhere except on the riverbanks. The dominant tree species varies depending on where you are in the Reserve: The upper parts of the reserve are Box‐Gum Woodland (an Endangered Ecological Community) while other parts of the reserve may represent other endangered ecological communities. The dominant tree in the lower parts is Mountain Gum with some other trees including New England Peppermint, with Sweet Bursaria and Tea Tree as common shrubs.

For reasons of aesthetic and recreational uniqueness and its ecological value Council considers the Reserve to be an important environmental asset. Its successful management is a high priority for Council.

In June 2016 Council adopted the first Wooldridge Fossicking and Recreation Reserve Management Plan. The plan sets out the strategies Council will adopt to preserve and protect the ecological and social values of the Reserve while maintaining a free camping service for tourists.

Strategies include continuing weed control, supplementary planting, replacing woody debris, additional fencing and signage to manage behaviour and more education and community events.

Bush Regenerators construct new steps onto the river bed to facilitate pedestrian access and hinder access by

vehicles.

PROFILE

PROFILE


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GOAL 3.1: NEW ENGLAND WEEDS AUTHORITYUralla Shire Council is a member of the New England Weeds Authority (NEWA) a Local Government Authority comprised of Uralla and Walcha Shire councils and the Armidale Regional Council. The region covered is some 18,255 square kilometres, with 4,000 kilometres of that being Council roads and reserves.

NEWA Activities NEWA is a weeds control authority under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993: it was formed to administer and control declared noxious and invasive weeds. NEWA does this by:

Ensuring landholders/occupiers of private land fulfil their obligations under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993.

inspecting land; enforcing the control of noxious weeds;

weed management on land occupied by the council and on roads in their area;

publicity about weeds; proposing changes to noxious weed declarations;

developing, implementing and co‐ordinating local strategies and policies;

providing on‐going approved training and professional development for weed staff and

providing adequate resources to implement noxious and invasive weed programs.

NEWA conducts an extensive spraying program across the region’s roads, and on private and public lands. NEWA provides advice on weed control and weed identification, supplies private works on request and answers general enquiries from the public. NEWA

offers their expertise to Council staff and often advises on projects.

Achievements NEWA runs a three year rolling weed inspection program for Council. Within the reporting period, NEWA treated all Uralla roadsides for noxious weeds, issued Enforcement Reports and hosted an extensive inspection and treatment program across water storage areas, Waste Transfer Stations and Water Treatment Plants, nurseries, gravel quarries, wetlands and waterway inspections; private property high risk areas, and Travelling Stock Routes inspected.

Communication, education and extension are core activities for NEWA staff. NEWA staff attended the Uralla and Bundarra Shows, and Field Days in Kingstown, Bushgrove and Uralla Townships.

Pesticide Use Notification Plan NEWA prepares the Pesticide Use Notification Plan on behalf of Council: The aim of this plan is to meet the community’s general right to know about pesticide applications made to outdoor public places that are owned or controlled by the Uralla Shire Council.

A copy of this plan can be viewed at http://www.uralla.nsw.gov.au/index.cfm?page_id=1529

2016‐2017 Annual Operational Plan The NEWA Annual operational plan 2016 – 2017 can be found at http://www.newa.com.au/annual‐operational‐plan

CSP GOAL


CSP STRATEGIES


3.1.5 Raise community awareness of environmental and biodiversity issues.

INDICATORS

1. Membership of NEWA is continuous.

Trend: ongoing.

New England

Weeds Authority


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PROFILE

PROFILE

PROFILE

WORKING WITH LANDHOLDERS: LANDCARE

URALLA RIVERCARE (URG)

Council and the Uralla Rivercare Group (URG) continue to work in partnership to improve the health and condition of Uralla and Rocky Creeks. Beginning in 1998 with a stormwater management plan a committee developed to obtain funding for the projects. The longer term aim of the project has been to re‐establish native vegetation along the creek, remove weeds, create recreational and aesthetic appeal and attract native fauna back to the system. Over time funding and support has been sourced from Southern New England Landcare, the Northern Tablelands Local Lands Service and the Environmental Trust and council. 2011 – 2013 the High Country Urban Biodiversity Project supported Council and URG weed, restoration and rehabilitation projects; Council hosted the Whacking Willows project 2012 – 2013 and continues maintenance and follow up work on public land in partnership with URG.

SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND LANDCARE (SELCC)

In the period 2012 – 2017 SNELCC ran five projects that included Uralla landholders as part of their audience.

10 Uralla properties took part in projects that enhanced native vegetation for threatened woodland birds, improved the ecological function of riparian corridors and helped to establish landscape corridors. In total these projects established 41.98 ha of such things.

9 Uralla landholders took part in a program to develop Master Tree Growers.

SNELCC also hosted 14 extension and awareness raising activities in the Shire from 2013. Subjects covered include covered weeds, bush regeneration, environmental education, native vegetation management, and identifying and planting for native fauna.

A total of 899 people (school children, general members of the public, landholders, general event audiences) attended extension activities.

Funding was provided by the Environmental Trust and the Northern Tablelands Local Lands Services. Uralla Shire Council provided funding for the Uralla Nature Ramble and Bundarra Spotlighting events in April 2014.

GWYDIR AND MACINTURE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (GWYMAC)

Gwymac Inc. is a Landcare network based in Inverell and has been in operation for over 25 years. During 2012‐2013 Gwymac rolled out a Federal Government funded project under the Caring for our Country Program. $100,000 was directed towards improving water quality in the Gwydir River above Copeton Dam and to improve grazing management practices on properties in the Upper Gwydir catchment.

Uralla Shire landholders were able to apply for funding for fencing materials and off stream watering points, or fencing materials and native seedlings for planting.

A River Reach Plan was developed in consultation with the Soil Conservation Service and students at the Bundarra School were involved in water monitoring program as part of their Science class activities.

Following on from this project, Gwymac Inc. was able to obtain funding from the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (NT LLS) to engage a further 8 properties on the Gwydir River to install riparian fencing to the value of $40,800.00.

PROFILE


90


GOAL 3.1, 3.2: URBAN SPACES The Urban Forest The Urban Forest is an intergenerational resource owned by the Uralla community. Trees are essential to the health and well being of our community, have value as an historical element within our streetscapes; and are intrinsically linked to the character of our urban spaces. Urban vegetation plays a vital ecological role; moderates extremes of heat and cold and helps to ameliorate air quality.

For example, planting trees is one of the cheapest ways to mitigate the effects of increasing temperatures within our urban spaces. Data from Victoria indicates that the environmental and property value benefits of street tress is $3.81 for every $1 invested.

Campher Laurel trees growing on John

Street.

The Urban Forest is comprised of all the vegetation in the parks, gardens, streetscapes, and other public lands within an urban space. Its management requires that it is treated as an interconnected system.

Policy and procedural developments are underway to ensure maintenance and then expansion of the canopy cover in our urban spaces. For the first time Trees will be included in the Asset Management Plan for Parks and Gardens.

Cycleways Since 2012 Council has successfully obtained co‐funding from the NSW Government to construct approximately 840m of shared pedestrian/cycle path in the Uralla township.

Shared paths have been constructed in:

Queen Street from Hill Street to King Street (205m).

King Street from Queen Street to Bridge Street (220m).

Bridge Street north of King Street (100m).

King Street from Maitland Street to the railway overbridge (107m).

Maitland Street from King Street to Hill Street (208m).

The construction of these paths has provided improved access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Council is continuing to pursue funding to extend the cycleway network which will link key community locations.

INDICATORS

1. Length of cycleway developed.

2. Increasing area of parks, as a portion of urban development.

3. Net increase canopy cover.

STRATEGIES

3.1.2 Naturally beautify our parks, gardens, open spaces, town entrances and street scapes.

3.2.1 Retain open space and greenbelts that are accessible to everyone.

CSP GOALS


3.2 Maintain a healthy balance between development and the environment.


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GOAL 3.2: ZERO NET ENERGY TOWN URALLA(Z‐NET URALLA) The aim of the Zero Net Energy Town Uralla (Z‐NET Uralla) project is to transition the Shire towards 100% renewable energy. The approach is to first reduce the amount of energy consumed by residents and businesses and then shift supply to fully renewable sources.

The project works with residents and businesses within the Uralla Shire to reduce energy use (i.e. energy efficiency) and support the uptake of renewable energy technology.

Z‐NET Uralla will give everyone in the Shire of Uralla the opportunity, not only of being part of the solution to renewable energy supply, but also the opportunity to build futurist, vibrant local businesses based on renewable energy.

Z‐NET Uralla has adopted the Zero Net Energy Town Uralla Case Study (also known as the Z‐NET Blueprint) as its foundation document for direction and scope of projects the Executive seek funding for.

Z‐NET Uralla is a not for profit voluntary organisation. Its governance structure is comprised of an Executive with nine people, two project coordinators and a series of working groups through which volunteers can participate and support projects. The Executive was formally initiated on 5 March 2016.

An auspice arrangement with the Uralla Neighbourhood Centre has been organised to provide insurance cover for volunteers and for a body to sign funding and other contracts.

Milestones

Zero Net Energy Town Blueprint, Case Study Uralla, competed in October 2015.

March 5 2016: Z‐NET Uralla project Executive and Framework elected and formally adopted.

March and April 2016 funding secured from the Office of Environment and Heritage and NSW Industry.

April 2016 Z‐NET Coordinator appointed and office opened in Uralla.

Achievements

Secured funding to support a Coordinator, and projects targeting residential and business energy reduction.

26 home energy reviews completed between June and 16 August 2016

2 Business reviews undertaken, project actively supporting another 6 businesses.

14 education and engagement events for business and residents hosted between March and July 2016.

Contact and support for other communities wishing to become Z‐NET locations.

INDICATORS

1. Continued partnership with Council.

2. Number of businesses and residents implementing energy efficiency strategies.

3. Volume of energy efficiency gains, alternative energy imported or produced locally.

STRATEGIES

3.2.2 Educate the community about sustainable practices in the home, at work and in public places.

CSP GOALS



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PROFILE

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT HOME AND IN YOUR BUSINESS

A Z‐NET home, or business, energy review is a free personalised review of energy consumption and use. Based on a questionnaire, appliance monitoring and the use of a thermal imaging camera, two Z‐NET Volunteers examine electricity, gas and firewood consumption along with the thermal efficiency of your home or business.

Aside from technical energy assessments, a key component of the Review is to understand in detail the specific barriers to the uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that you may be experiencing.

Z‐NET Uralla Project Officer Patricia Rasmussen speaks with Mr Maisey about his energy use.

A number of homes have been wired to generate data on their performance in consideration of the demographic, energy, behavioural patterns and differences in construction materials. There is a particular emphasis in the program on rental accommodation and a desire to work with residential or business landlords.

The Home/Business Energy Assessment is still developing and with approximately 2, 300 residential properties and 158 rateable businesses in the Shire, it will be a long term project. Additional volunteers and staff are necessary in order to build sufficient scale and reach into communities beyond the township of Uralla.

Both projects are supported by State Government funding through the Office of Environment and Heritage and the Office of Small Business. Further developments in the projects include an award system for residents/businesses when they achieve a certain amount of energy reduction, or completed a number of energy efficiency tasks. The impact of the reviews will be additionally assisted by targeted extension and capacity building events such as curtain and draft proofing workshops; or business specific needs.

PROFILE

The central philosophy of the review is to let the resident/business owner determine the level and pace of energy efficiency improvements they wish to make. The resident/business owner identifies their preferred solutions based on affordability and desirability for them. A Report designed with these needs in mind is then prepared.

Links to other support services and any other related Z‐NET Uralla or government services/programs are made where possible. Z‐NET Volunteers will then check in with the householder/business owner after a period of time to check on progress.


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GOAL 3.2: AMENDMENTS TO THE URALLA LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN (LEP) 2012

Flood Planning Area Map The purpose of the LEP amendment was to include a Flood Planning Map in the Uralla Local Environmental Plan (ULEP). This Map identifies land in Uralla that falls within a “Flood Planning Area”. Previously, Flood Plan Mapping only applied to the town area of Bundarra

The Map identifies land in Uralla to which Part 6 Additional Local Provisions of the ULEP 2012 applies. The Flood Planning Area is based on the 1% AEP flood extent plus 0.5 m (500mm) freeboard.

The Rocky and Uralla Creeks Flood Study provided background report and base mapping for the Map.

Boundary Adjustments and Detached Dual Occupancy Rural detached dual occupancy dwellings, and rural boundary adjustment subdivisions previously relied on a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) 1 variation. All ‘new’ LEPs made in accordance with the Stand Instrument Template (NSW Planning and Environment’s requirements) do no adopt SEPP 1. This meant that Council’s current ULEP 2012 did not provide for boundary adjustment subdivisions and rural detached dual occupancies.

The State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (Codes SEPP) provides for certain rural boundary adjustment subdivisions to be exempt development, however, there are exclusions to this exemption, including lots that are wholly mapped as heritage items; and rural boundary adjustments that are not considered to be minor Therefore the Codes SEPP does not provide for all potential boundary

adjustment subdivisions and LEP provisions that are required and it was considered necessary to amend the LEP. It was clear that there was a genuine and justifiable need for detached rural dual occupancy dwellings and flexibility when dealing with rural boundary adjustment subdivisions. The LEP amendment to enable detached rural dual occupancy dwellings in rural and environmental zones was considered necessary for the following key reasons: To provide a degree of separation between dwellings to allow for privacy for intergenerational occupants.

The use of existing provisions in the LEP for rural workers dwellings provisions can be unwieldy in terms of justification of the need for additional rural worker’s accommodation and require costly supporting studies such as agricultural viability and agronomists reports.

In many cases, the need for additional farm dwellings is simply to accommodate family members within an intergenerational property

Additional controls to manage detached dual occupancy dwellings have been included in the Uralla Development Control Plan, including: Consolidation of separate land

parcels so that the primary dwelling and the detached dual occupancy dwelling are located within a single lot.

Access to the primary dwelling and the detached dual occupancy dwelling via a single (existing) access driveway and single point of access location of a public road. Justification for the separation distance between the proposed detached dual and the primary dwelling.

INDICATORS

1. Completion of Flood Study.

Trend: project is complete.

STRATEGIES

3.2.3 Ensure that Uralla Shire is sufficiently prepared to deal with natural disasters including bushfires, major storms and flood events.

CSP GOAL



94

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GOAL 3.3: WASTE SERVICES From the last State of Environment Report Council has developed an Asbestos Management Plan and Policy and finalised the Emergency Response Procedure for landfill sites. These procedures are needed in the event of a pollution incident, such as a fire in a cell. Council has complied with requirements to provide Annual Returns every year to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has continued to provide waste collection services to Walcha residents.

A focus for Council in 2013 – 2014 was to ensure good recycling practice as contamination of recycling means it can not be reused. To encourage compliance Council ran bin inspections, making sure to thank those residents who did the right thing.

Council continues to support Clean Up Australia Day and Waste to Art EnviroMentors will not run this year due to a loss of staffing resources.

Council CleanUp day has been discontinued due to lack of resources.

Council continues to host Computer Bank New England which is diverting e‐waste from landfill.

Northern Inland Regional Waste (NIRW) Membership of the Northern Inland Regional Waste group remains vital. Group projects include Chemical CleanOut and The Garage Sale Trail (2015). In a policy context the group developed a Regional Waste Strategy.

Uralla made a submission with input from our community on the Container Deposit Scheme.

Being a member of the NIRW group attracts funding from the State Government.

In late 2015 the Community Recycling Centre was opened at the Uralla Landfill. Funded by the Waste Less Recycle More campaign, the aim is to make it easier for households to recycle and remove problem wastes (e.g. paints, batteries) from kerbside bins and landfills.

Council is currently improving security of the Uralla landfill through a Landfill Improvement Grant, again from the EPA.

Aboriginal Lands Clean Up Grant Aboriginal Lands CleanUp: the NSW EPA provided $24,680 to clean up illegally dumped material on the Old Kentucky Landfill and Westend.

Over 40 tonnes of material has been cleaned up through the project.

Heritage Bins Finally, during the reporting period Council took a historic view to keeping our shire rubbish free. Installing 12 bins and 2 triple system garbage and recycling bins to reduce littering in the main areas beautified with pictures of Uralla’s yester years.

CSP GOAL

3.3 Reuse, recycle and reduce waste.

STRATEGIES

3.3.1 Promote recycling, reusing and provide regular and efficient waste and recycling.

3.3.2 Provide education to the community on ways to minimise the waste produced by households

3.3.3 Implement initiatives to reduce illegal dumping and provide community education to prevent litter.

INDICATORS

1. Increasing volumes of recycling.

Trend: increasing.

2. Numbers of people engaged in education and awareness.

Trend: declining.


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ENVIROMENTORS: WASTE EDUCATION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Enviro Mentors is an environmental education program for children in primary schools. It was developed and is run by Keep Australia Beautiful.

In 2014 the program reached 44, 149 participants, visited 429 schools and engaged communities in 63 Local Government areas.

In the Uralla Shire the program is fully subsidised by Council and has been available each every year from 2011 – 2014.

EnviroMentors is different from other school based education programs as workshops are tailored to address issues pertinent to each Local Government area.

The Enviro Mentors program offers a range of modules which schools can choose from. The most popular modules are “Close the Loop” and “In the Bin”.

Uralla Students have come up with the following waste reduction ideas during Enviro Mentor sessions:

Make a compost bin at home.

Feed scraps to the chooks.

Tell Mum “put it in the yellow bin”.

Make a worm farm.

Wash the recyclable items Take rinsed

chemical drums into DrumMuster.

Donate old toys to charities.

Recycling to conserve resources.

Wash plastics before putting into

the yellow bin.

Tell Mum and Dad to recycle.

Lots of creatures.

Put wrappers in the red bin.

In 2012 ‐ four schools visited, 233 student participants; in 2013 ‐ four schools visited, 262 student participants and in 2014 – four schools visited; 253 student participants.

PROFILE

Children from Kentucky Primary School take part in EnviroMentors in 2015.


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GOAL 3.3: SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES The New England Region experiences a dry sub–humid temperate climate. Summers are relatively short and mild and winters are long and cold. Mean monthly maximum temperatures vary from 25.7 degrees Celsius in February to 11.8 degrees Celsius in July. Mean monthly minimum temperatures vary from 12.7 degrees Celsius in February to minus 0.4 degrees in July.

Median rainfall is approximately 800mm per annum in Uralla and 763mm per annum in Bundarra with approximately 60% falling in summer and 40% in winter. Average annual evaporation is 1400mm/a.

It is widely accepted that climate change is beginning to impact on water supply systems through changes to the frequency and duration of rainfall, as well as an increase in evaporation. Repeated dry periods in closer proximity to one another are also expected to be a feature of a changing climate.

Uralla sources water from Kentucky Dam, which has a 500ML capacity.

The creek has a small catchment in upper reaches of Gwydir River. Storage susceptible to algae growth in summer. Impact of siltation on storage volume is unknown Storage does not meet the criteria for secure yield and demand projections.

Based on water billing data, the average water use by property in Uralla fell year to year across all financial years 2012 – 2015. Average use was up 2015 – 2016 on 2014 – 2015 but remains below the 2012 average. The number of properties on the water supply in Uralla grew by 47 from 2012 to 2016.

Average water consumption by property in Uralla was 192.06 kL in 2015‐2016.

Whether or not the decline in water use is attributable to the dryer climatic conditions and an inherent consciousness about water use, while likely, can not be established with certainty.

Bundarra residents source water from the Gwydir River, via Taylors Pond. Between 90 – 120 kL is supplied from the pond each year.

The Bundarra system is not robust and is vulnerable to periods of low flow in Gwydir River. In addition, upstream irrigators can place stress on town water supplies.

Average water consumption in Bundarra reached a four year low in the 2014 – 2015 Financial Year, dropping by 4, 455 kL on the year before. Otherwise is increased year to year.

The 2014 ‐ 2015 decline is likely to be in response to prevailing drought conditions at that time. However, what accounts for the shorter sustained period of these conservation measures than seen in Uralla has not been determined.

In the case of both Uralla and Bundarra the conservation gains do not seem to have been sustained.

Understanding water conservation strategies, the behavioural barriers to implementing them and determining how to fund them is a role fulfilled by a Demand Management Plan. Completing this project is the next step for Council in managing water resources.

CSP GOAL


STRATEGIES

3.3.4 Identifying and implementing water conservation and sustainable water usage practices in council operations.

INDICATORS

1. Complete the Yield Study.

Trend: complete.

2. Complete the demand management plan.

Tend: not complete.


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GOAL 3.3: SUSTAINABLY TRANSPORTING THE COMMUNITY

Most residents in Uralla rely on a car to get around. Due to the small and isolated nature of our population, providing a public transport service is prohibitively expensive.

The transportation industry on a global level is a major contributor towards carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, accounting for almost 23% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Of these total carbon dioxide emissions, road transport accounts for 75% and this percentage increases daily.

Tablelands Community Transport (TCT) supports the vulnerable and transport disadvantaged members of the community by giving them access to transport.

The service is conscious of it carbon footprint and takes steps to reduce direct emissions.

Reducing Emissions Using multiple occupant vehicles (MOV) are definitely a greener way to travel and a more economical one. MOVs have social benefits for clients as, by default, they encourage social interaction between clients. MOV trips increased by 10% between the 2014/2015 and the 2015/2016 Financial Years.

Using Transport Corridors. “When we become aware that other providers are travelling to a location that we intend to go, we request that our client can get picked up on the way by that provider”. Not only does this improve the efficiency of the service, this type of MOV service allows TCT to use their vehicle on

an additional service for clients.

Good vehicle maintenance. A well‐tuned engine pollutes less and uses less fuel therefore being a greener way to travel.

Driver behaviour is yet another factor that determines the level of greenhouse gas emissions produced by driving. “By avoiding speeding and sudden accelerations we limit fuel intake and reduce the wear and tear on our vehicles engines, transmission, steering and suspension systems.” Using the cruise control and anticipating traffic patterns ahead also minimises environmental impact with the additional benefit of the brakes lasting longer.

The total number of kilometres travelled through TCT services grew by 24, 227 2014 – 2015 and the 2015 – 2016 Financial Years, an increase of 15%.

Karina Wright, Manager Tablelands Community Transport

CSP GOAL


STRATEGIES

3.3.5 Identify technologies in Council's facilities, infrastructure and service delivery to reduce our ecological footprint.

INDICATORS

1. Number of trips provided.

Trend: increasing.

2. Number of kilometres travelled on multi passenger trips.

Trend: increasing.


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REFERENCES

Haworth, R. (n.d). Report on Racecourse Lagoon Hydrology Investigation. University of New England.

Heart Foundation (2013). Making the case for investment in street trees and landscaping in urban environments. Retrieved from Heart Foundation website https://www.heartfoundation.org.au

Hunter, J. and Bell, D. (2009). The Carex Fen Vegetation of Northern New South Wales, Cunninghamia, 11(I): 49 – 64.

Local Government Act 1993 (NSW).

Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd. (2015). The Z‐NET Blueprint, Business Case and Uralla Case Study. Retrieved from Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au

Tremont, R. (2014). Uralla Shire Council Roadside Vegetation Resurvey 2014 – 2015. Unpublished.

Uralla Shire Council (2016). Wooldridge Recreation and Fossicking Reserve Management Plan 2016 – 2020. Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au

Uralla Shire Council. Waste and Resource Recovery Data Survey: 2013 – 2015. Environmental Protection Agency. Unpublished.

Uralla Shire Council (2015). Community Strategic Plan 2015 – 2015. Retrieved from Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au

Uralla Shire Council (2015). The Delivery Program 2015 ‐ 2017. Retrieved from Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au

Uralla Shire Council (2015). Uralla and Bundarra Secure Yield Assessment. SMEC, Victoria. Unpublished.

Uralla Shire Council (2013). Community Strategic Plan 2013 – 2023. Uralla Shire Council.

Uralla Shire Council (2013). Uralla Community Based Heritage Study. Retrieved from http://www.uralla.nsw.gov.au/index.cfm?page_id=1200

Uralla Shire Council (2012). Uralla Local Environmental Plan. Retrieved from Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au

Uralla Shire Council (2011). Development Control Plan 2011. Retrieved from Uralla Shire Council website www.uralla.nsw.gov.au


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.06 Subject: Bundarra Sewerage Scheme

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Goal: 3.4 Secure, sustainable and environmentally sound water-cycle infrastructure and

services Strategy: 3.4.2 Maintain and renew the sewerage network infrastructure to ensure the provision

of efficient and environmentally-sound sewerage services Action: 3.4.2.2 Maintain and renew the sewer infrastructure network in-line with established

programs

SUMMARY: The Bundarra village is unsewered with residents relying on septic systems to handle wastewater disposal. Investigations have been undertaken over many years as to the costs and viability of the provision of a sewerage scheme. In 2015 the NSW Government invited Council to submit an Expression of Interest for 50% funding of a scheme. An application was made in April 2016 supported by a Report prepared by NSW Public Works. The estimated cost of the favoured scheme is $5.447m (2016) and the funding sought was 70% including a hardship provision. Council has now received advice from the Minister for Lands and Water that the government has approved funding of $3,675,000 (see letter attached). Planning for the project can now proceed. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council:

1. Accept, in principle, the funding offer of the NSW Government’s Restart Regional Water & Waste Water Backlog Program for the Bundarra Sewerage Project subject to finalisation of a funding deed and determination of Council’s funding of the cost of the balance of the project.

2. Authorise the General Manager to take the necessary steps to finalise the funding deed with the Government and execute it.

3. Note a further report is to be prepared covering funding options for the funding balance, project plans and a community consultation strategy.

BACKGROUND: The provision of a sewerage scheme to serve the Bundarra township has been mooted for many years. In fact a detailed Investigation Report was prepared for Council by the then NSW Public


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Works Department in November 1989. More recently Council was invited by the Minister for Lands and Water in July 2015 to submit an Expression of Interest under the NSW Government’s Restart NSW, Water Security for Regional – Regional Water and Waste Water Backlog. A submission was made with the assistance of NSW Public Works. REPORT: The Bundarra village is currently unsewered and has approximately 180 allotments which could be connected to a sewerage system. The village currently relies on onsite septic tanks on individual lots. The construction of a reticulated sewage collection or treatment system will offer significant beneficial improvements for public health and the Gwydir River water quality. Two options were considered by Public Works in their advice to Council, being a Sewage Treatment Plan (STP) with an oxidation pond and land disposal (costed at $5.447m) or an IDEA based STP with river disposal (costed at $7.742m). The first option is preferred due to the availability of land and lower costs. Analysis has shown that the project will have an economic benefit of approximately $470,000 and a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.45. The Council now has the opportunity to have the village sewered but will need to fund the balance of the project amounting to $1.772m. The Council’s restricted sewerage fund stands at $1.669m and it may be prudent to partially fund the project of up to say $750,000 and fund the balance from a loan given the long term life of the infrastructure to be provided and the historically low interest rates. The Council also needs to determine that there will be a single sewerage rate across the Shire as in the case of water supply. This would mean residents would pay $550.00 per connection per annum. As part of the planning and design phase of the project Council will need to identify and acquire a site for the STP. Very preliminary discussions have been held with two property owners. It is likely that the planning, design and approval stages will take 6-8 months with construction being able to commence around July 2017 with completion and commissioning approximately 18 months later. Clearly the project will require extensive publicity and information dissemination to the residents of Bundarra. Council will also need to ensure sufficient resources are available to manage the project. KEY ISSUES:

The Bundarra Sewerage Scheme has been an unfunded project of Council since at least 1989

Pollution and overflow of individual lot septic tanks add to public health and river water quality issues

Public Works have prepared a detailed application for funding

NSW Government has approved funding of $3.675m being 67.5% of the estimated cost of the preferred option

Council needs to determine its preferred funding strategy for the estimated balance of $1.772m

A Project Plan and Community Consultation Plan should be prepared


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CONCLUSION: The project will significantly benefit the Shire and improve the residential amenity and reduce health risks of the residents of Bundarra and opportunities for pollution of the Gwydir River. Acceptance of the grant is recommended. COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) Extensive Community Consultation required

2. Policy and Regulation Provides for implementation of Council’s long term strategies

3. Financial (LTFP) Funding of $1.772 required by Council

4. Asset Management (AMS) Creates additional assets needing to be managed

5. Workforce (WMS) Day-to-day supervision of plant, etc., required after commissioning

6. Legal and Risk Management Risk Management Plan required

7. Performance Measures To be included in Project Plan

8. Project Management Required

Prepared by staff member: Russell J Lloyd Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:

Acting Director of Infrastructure & Regulation Infrastructure & Regulation

Attachments:

G. Letter from Minister Niall Blair MLC dated 22 September 2016


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REPORT TO COUNCIL

Department: Infrastructure & Regulation Submitted by: Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Reference: 2.25.10.07 Subject: Industrial Land Purchase

LINKAGE TO INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING FRAMEWORK Objective: 2.2 Growing and diversified employment, education and tourism opportunities Strategy: 2.2.3 Support the attraction of new businesses, including sustainable employment

generating projects Action: 2.2.3.1 Provide consultation with potential new business operators and pre-development

application assistance

SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to update Council on the purchase of industrial land fronting the New England Highway and Rowan Avenue, Uralla. It also provides information on options for Council to consider as to the future development of the land. OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION: That Council:

1. Note the settlement of the purchase of Lot 14 DP 787477 being industrial zoned land fronting Rowan Avenue and the New England Highway, Uralla.

2. Receive a further report setting out a strategy and detailed costing for the future development and sales of the land.

BACKGROUND: One of Council’s Community Goals as set out in the Community Strategic Plan is:

‘Growing and diversifying employment, education and tourism opportunities’. To this end Council, over a period of time, has sought to provide additional development opportunities for industrially zoned land. In February 2014, Council received a report covering Industrial Land Negotiations. The report noted that there is plentiful industrially zoned land but that there is a short supply of developed land ready for purchase and available for businesses prepared to locate in Uralla. The report is attached as Attachment H.


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The Council resolved:

‘That Council

Endorse the action of the General Manager in seeking out the owners intentions in respect to Lots 13 and 14 of DP 787477 and Lot 3 DP 806571 zoned RU1, RU2, IN1 and IN2 and his willingness to sell the property to the Uralla Shire Council in line with the valuation obtained by Council.

Authorise the Mayor and General Manager to negotiate an acceptable offer for the purchase of Lots 13 and 14 of DP 787477 and Lot 3 DP 806571 zoned RU1, RU2, IN1 and IN2 and report back to Council.’

Then on 27 October 2014 Council received a further report covering an agreement in principle to purchase land fronting the New England Highway and Rowan Avenue, Uralla. This report is attachment I. The Council resolved:

‘That Council: 1. Make a formal offer to purchase 4.892 hectares of Light Industrial land being Part Lot 12

DP529709. Located adjoining to the New England Highway and Rowan Avenue Uralla and currently owned by Mr. D & Mrs. J Heagney, on the following terms:

a. A purchase price of $370,000; b. Council to pay the costs of fencing the industrial block from the adjoining rural land; c. Council to cover reasonable costs of transfer and subdivision; and d. The purchase to be subject to the owners successfully obtaining a dwelling entitlement

for the remaining rural allotment. 2. Following exchange of contracts, commence survey and planning for subdivision of the land

into saleable light industrial blocks; 3. Provide a subsequent report to Council on the cost estimates to fully subdivide and develop

the light industrial blocks; and 4. Undertake an expression of interest from financial institutions to issue loans funds to Council

in an amount to cover both the purchase of the land and the future subdivision and development costs.’

It is noted that the resolution refers only to the purchase of Part Lot 12 DP 529709 (now Lot 14 DP 787477) and not Lot 3 DP 806571. The administrative processes in completing the acquisition have taken some time. However, it is pleasing to advise that settlement occurred on 30 June 2016. REPORT: As indicated in previous reports, the land is capable of being developed with between ten (10) and fifteen (15) individual lots varying in size from approximately 1,600 m2 to 5,000m2 depending on the subdivision model adopted. In this regard a number of preliminary layout models have been drafted and need to be critically examined. It is considered that external advice should be sought from both the real estate market and a surveying firm on the most likely value for money subdivision model and design. It is noted that services are available to the site but that to date Roads and Maritime Services have not agreed to access from the highway.


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The Council needs to determine whether it wishes to proceed to develop the lots itself bearing in mind that earlier advice was to the effect that the lots could take up to seven years to sell. Therefore the options available to Council should be addressed once a firm layout has been prepared, considered and endorsed. However, options include developing the land with roads and services constructed/ provided from Council funds (either by contract or via Council’s own staff), to obtaining DA consent and engaging a company to develop and market the lots on a ‘risk sharing’ basis, or on-selling the whole site with DA consent. KEY ISSUES (Optional):

Council objectives to provide additional usable industrial land.

Market conditions may vary over time.

Costs of development and potential return on investment needs detailed analysis.

Lot sizing will be critical to success. There is no minimum lot size in the zone. COUNCIL IMPLICATIONS:

1. Community Engagement/ Communication (per engagement strategy) Not required at this stage.

2. Policy and Regulation Local Government Act and Environmental Planning and Assessment Act

3. Financial (LTFP) The total expenditure to date is $381,154. Council borrowed $1.0 million for the acquisition of the land and development of the lots to be created. Therefore Council holds a Restricted Asset in the sum of $618,846 for the development of the site. The preliminary cost of development for sale is between $600,000 and $900,000 depending on layout with additional costs for marketing and sale. The estimated income suggested as part of the report prepared by MVS National in August 2014 and based on a twelve (12) lot outcome was $1,660,000. This value also needs to be reviewed and detailed estimates prepared. Council needs to be mindful of its financial position and ensure a return on investment (ROI).

4. Asset Management (AMS) Council has purchased a substantial asset that will need to be carefully managed over time.


6. Legal and Risk Management Engagement of external professional advice and a resale management plan should be prepared.


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7. Performance Measures

Analysis and monitoring will be required with a constant reference to ROI.

8. Project Management Project management will be essential.

Prepared by staff member: Acting Director Infrastructure & Regulation Approved/Reviewed by Manager: Department:


Attachments:

H. Report to Council 24 February 2014 I. Report to Council 27 October 2014


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12. MOTIONS ON NOTICE There are no motions on notice.

13. SCHEDULE OF COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS As at 19 October 2016.


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1

SCHEDULE OF ACTIONS – COUNCIL MEETINGS

Key A: Action Required B: Being Processed C: Completed

Meeting Date

Business Minute

Item No. Report Title and Council Resolution

Responsible Officer

Community Engagement Assessment Completed

Media Release

Required

Budget Variation

Completed Action Date Comments Status

Minute No. TRIM

26.06/15 Uralla Local Traffic Committee That: (i) Traffic calming in Uralla’s CBD- Council staff prepare a report for the next Traffic Committee (ii) Plane Avenue – Speed review – That Council staff place a traffic classifier at the 50/100 signage to determine 85th percentile speed and AADT; note that does not meet warrant for extension of 50km/hr zone; and erect Pedestrian warning signs at either end of Plane Avenue (iii) Request for automatic speed board at Kentucky- That Council place a traffic classifier near 40km/hr school sign& erect 4 x 50km/hr advance warning signs for Kentucky Village. (iv) Bundarra Central School – that Council arranges signage for bus zones and “no parking” zone. (v) Kingstown Road – that Council reviews the size of the Cemetery warning sign and investigates additional parking in Quartz Gully Road (vi) Corner of Bridge Street/ East Street- relocate “no stopping” sign to south of access to 158 Bridge Street.

DIR

Letter sent to RMS requesting funding support to design traffic calming and 40 KPH signage in CBD. Site Meeting held with RMS reps on 20 June 2016. RMS to return with advice on possible funding for design, signage etc.

B C C C B C

24 AUGUST 2015

6.08/15 Bridge Naming: New Bridges Over The Gwydir River and Abington Creek

That Council, after considering the content and views of the public submissions:

DIR


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

1. Names the new bridge over the Gwydir River as “The Emu Crossing Bridge.” 2. Names the bridge, under construction over the Abington Creek, as the “Abington Bridge”. 3. Places a plaque/s to honour the work of Nurse May Yarrowyck at a location to be determined.

Location to be determined

C

C

B


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3



Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

29.09/15 Planning Proposal – D & J Heagney - Part Lot 12 DP 529709 – Rowan Avenue, Uralla – Exhibition Completion

That Council:

1. Amend the Uralla Local Environmental Plan 2012 by amending the Zoning and Minimum Lot Size maps applicable to Part Lot 2 DP 529709: a) from Zone RU1 Primary Production and RU2 Rural Landscape to RU4 Primary Production Small Lots; and b) to reduce the current minimum lot size of 400 ha and 200 ha to 40 ha. 2. Forward planning proposal to NSW Department of Planning & Environment under section 58(2) of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979, to determine whether any further consultation is required or if a new Gateway Determination is required to be issued. 3. If no further consultation or a New Gateway Determination is not required to be issued, Council requests the NSW Department of Planning & Environment to amend the Uralla Local Environmental Plan 2012 in that: a) a draft Local Environmental Plan be prepared under section 59(1) of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979, b) Consultation be undertaken with the Director General on the content of the draft Local Environmental Plan, c) Obtain an Opinion from Parliamentary Counsel that the plan can be made, and

DIR

October 2015 December 2015

.

B C C C


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

d) Request the Minister to make the plan under section 59(2) and (3) of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979. 4. The General Manager be given delegated authority to make any minor alterations requested by the NSW Department of Planning & Environment or Parliamentary Counsel. 5. The Committee note the content of the addendum report in regards to the late submission by NSW Department of Transport Roads and Maritime Services, and 6. If the planning proposal is to proceed, the access be relocated to Rowan Avenue as a requirement of the Planning Proposal.

Planning approval given and LEP Amendment gazetted. Purchase of industrial land to proceed. Further minor changes to LEP will be made after the initial advertising and purchase of land

C A

37.02/16 Uralla Sporting Complex

That the report be received and noted, and further that:

(i) The capital budget be reviewed to include all projected costs and that additional grant funding be sought to complete the construction of the Uralla Sporting Complex and that the building be delayed until adequate funding is sourced; and further that

(ii) Consultation be undertaken with the Open Space and Recreation Panel on other suitable options if additional grant funding is unable to be

DIR Build delayed pending available grants to meet increased cost of construction.

Need to try again to convene

meeting of panel.

B

A

A


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

sourced.

17.03/16 Roads to Recovery Funding Priorities

That Council adopt the following priority list for the expenditure of Roads to Recovery funding over the next four years:-

Project R2R Budget

1 Bergen Road - completion of unsealed section. Realignment and bitumen seal (under construction) $600,000

2 Mihi Bridge - based on 50% State funding-( ie $ 520,000 total cost) 26.2 metres x 8 metres wide $260,000

3 Munsies Bridge - based on 100% State funding-( ie $800,000 total cost) 65.5 metres X 4 metres wide $800,000

4 Bingara Road - continue gravel and bitumen sealing program -2 kms $420,000

5 Jacksons Road - 640 metres gravel and bitumen seal-single lane $150,000

6 Saumarez War Service Road - 350 metres - gravel and bitumen seal $150,000

DIR

DIR

Construction Completed

Design Required

Design required

C

A

A

A

A

A


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

7 Tulong Road - 1.15 kms gravel and bitumen seal $200,000

8 Eastern Avenue from causeway to Glenroy Road 2.1 kms - rehabilitation - single lane, very weak material, may need extra pavement $320,000

9 Burtons Lane 1.39 kms - rehabilitation-single lane $250,000

10 Gilmore Place, Uralla - rehabilitation-AC overlay $40,000

11 Park Street, Uralla, from Queen Street towards Uralla Street - rehabilitation-100metresx 10.2 metres $50,000

12 John Street, Uralla, from Bridge Street to Queen Street - rehabilitation 205 metres x 13.7 metres $100,000

13 Leece Road - west of Wilkins Street - realign and rehabilitate-350 metres $120,000

DIR

A

A

A

A

A

A

19.03/16 Allocation of Administration Overheads to Capital Projects

The Chief Financial Officer prepare a report to Council on the rationale for the change of accounting treatment of administrative overhead expense as a period cost to a component of capital expense for own constructed assets, using the construction of Emu Crossing Bridge as an example.

CFO A report will be prepared once the draft budgets are completed.

A


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

23 MAR 26.03/15 Land Disposal - Karava Place, Uralla That Council: 1. Notify all affected landowners of the completion to Amendment 2 of the Uralla Local Environmental Plan 2012; 2. Offer Option 5 to all affected landowners being purchaser payment consisting of a peppercorn payment of $1.00, conveyancing costs and a percentage of the surveying relating to the area of land being purchased; 3. Give the General Manager delegation to negotiate payment options; and 4 .Endorse the fixing of the Council Seal on any necessary documentation relating to the subdivision and sale.

MTPR/DIR 23/3/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 27/5/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 2/6/15 20/7/15 5/8/15

Letter sent Offer sent with contract of sale for consideration by affected parties Negotiations between all parties not yet completed. Plan of Subdivision Contract of Sale – Herbert Contract of Sale – O’Halloran Contract of Sale – Chapman Contract of Sale – Hudson Contract of Sale – Carter Contract of Sale – Ackling Titles have been received and forward to solicitors. Title transfers signed and forwarded to solicitors.

C C B C B B B B B B


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

23 NOV 15 24.11/15 Bergen Road Land Acquisition and Exchange For Road Works That the Council approve for the exchange of land associated with the reconstruction of Bergen Road and authorise the General Manager to complete all documentation.

DIR / GM A

09.04/16 D&J Heagney – Rowen Avenue

That the following be received and noted in regards to the Planning Proposal affecting land known as Part Lot 12 DP 529709, Rowan Avenue, Uralla:

1. Public Exhibition has been finalised.

2. A section 59 report is currently being drafted for NSW Planning approval.

DIR

DIR

11.04/16 2.18.04.06 / Standard Instrument LEP amendments

1. That the NSW Planning and Environment Media Release and information provided in this report be received and noted.

2. That Council’s website is updated to link to the Uralla LEP 2012 as published on the NSW Legislation website and that an amended LEP Land Use Matrix is uploaded to the website.

3. That Council endorse a minor amendment to the Uralla Development Control Plan (DCP) 2011 to ensure consistency with the Uralla LEP 2012 as part of the next advertised amendment

DIR


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

Budget Variation


Minute No. TRIM

to the DCP.

23 MAY 2016

6.05/16 COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That:

1) Council receive the report for information;

2) Staff investigate the ongoing operational savings and costs relating to the proposed relocation of the VIC and prepare a business case for Council to consider.

DIR/GM C


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Meeting Date

Business Minute


Responsible Officer


Media Release

Required

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09.06/16 That Council: DA-26-2016 Dwelling under Clause 4.6 Uralla Local Environmental Plan – Caretaker’s Dwelling – Balala Composting – Mr R & Mr P Jones a) Support the Clause 4.6 exception to a development standard for Development Application 26/2016 being for a 15% variation of minimum lot size to enable the erection of a rural dwelling on land described as Lot 233 DP 844146 Balala Road, Balala; and b) Request concurrence from the Director General of the NSW Office of Planning & Environment subject to the consent conditions listed in the schedule below; and c) Subject to receiving concurrence of the Director General, the General Manager is authorised to grant development consent to Development Application 26-2016 subject to the consent conditions listed in the schedule below.

DIR

25.06/16 2015/16 – Third Quarter Budget Review Statements COUNCIL RESOLUTION: 1. That the third quarter budget review summary for the 2015/16 financial year be received and noted; and 2. That the adjustments to budget allocations, including transfers to and from reserves, be adopted.

CFO C – ongoing

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3. That Council agree to the recommendations outlined in the Statement by the Responsible Accounting Officer, specifically: a. That Councils financial processes be enhanced so that future management of expenditure in both ongoing operations and capital works include more emphasis on accurate estimating and closer monitoring and adherence to budgets so that remedial action can be taken when appropriate; b. That Council review the sustainability criteria arising from the FFTF process and the Annual Financial Statements and establish benchmarks for the future long term sustainability of the council.

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30.06/16 Subject: Uralla Fire and Rescue COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That: Council support the Regional Fire Fighter Championship to held in 2017 or 2018.

DIR

21.06/16 Request from Z-NET Uralla to support project implementation COUNCIL RESOLUTION: That Council agree to support the Destination Uralla – Vibrant Renewable and Growing, by offering to administer the grant.

DIR




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Minute No. TRIM

25 July 2016 03.07/16

2.18.06.12

Review Request on Development Consent 28/2016 – 54 Budumba Road,

Invergowrie

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

1. That the matter be lifted from the table for Council to address;

2. That Council modify Development Consent 28/2016 condition 22 to read:

22. Prior to occupation commencing: Planting of trees/shrubs or the like is to be established along the southern side of the access handle and for a distance of 30 metres past the end of the access handle adjacent to the boundary line. The plantings must be maintained or replanted in the event of a plant or plants dying.

DIR


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25 July 2016 17.07/16

2.18.06.9

Gazetting of Compulsorily Acquired Land for Thunderbolts Way Realignment

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That Council:

1. Proceed with the compulsory acquisition of the Land described as Lot 1, 2, 3 and 7 in Deposited Plan 1184102 (and formerly known as Part Lots 234, 383 and 268 in Deposited Plan 755846) for the purpose of a public road realignment in accordance with the requirements of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.

2. Make an application to the Minister and the Governor for approval to acquire the Land described as Lot 1, 2, 3 and 7 in Deposited Plan 1184102 (and formerly known as Part Lots 234, 383 and 268 in Deposited Plan 755846) by compulsory process under Section 177 of the Roads Act 1993.

DIR

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25 July 2016 18.07/16

2.18.06.10

Gazetting of Land Acquired for approaches to new Emu Crossing Bridge

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That Council:

1. Proceed with the compulsory acquisition of the Land described as Lot 1, 2 and 3 in Deposited Plan 1208204 (and formerly known as part of Lot 38 in Deposited Plan 753662 and part of the Crown Land described as Lot 110 in Deposited Plan 753656) for the purpose of a public road in accordance with the requirements of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.

2. Make an application to the Minister and the Governor for approval to acquire the Land described as Lot 1, 2 and 3 in Deposited Plan 1208204 (and formerly known as part of Lot 38 in Deposited Plan 753662 and part of the Crown Land described as Lot 110 in Deposited Plan 753656) by compulsory process under Section 177 of the Roads Act 1993.

DIR

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Minute No. TRIM

25 July 2016 19.07/16

2.18.06.11

Road Closure Request – Lot 32 DP 813093

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That Council:

1. Agree to undertake the necessary steps to close the road;

2. Subject to the necessary statutory requirements Lot 32 DP 813093 be sold to A & L McLean upon completion of the road closure on the basis that the purchase price is based on the value of the land plus the full cost of the road closure application; and

3. Delegation be given to the General Manager to:

a. Complete the road closure, and

b. Undertake any necessary negotiations to complete the sale.

4. Approve the fixing of the Council Seal to all necessary documents.

DIR


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25 July 2016 22.07/16

2.18.06.15

Mid North Weight of Loads Group Membership

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That:

Council continue membership of Mid North Weight of Loads Group and the General Manager be authorised to sign the appropriate documentation including authorisations and Memorandums of Agreement for the Inspectors.

DIR


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Minute No. TRIM

22 AUG 2016 06.08/16

2.15.08.5

DA-27-2012-3 S96 (2) Modification of Development Consent. Staged 42 Lot low

density residential subdivision – 114 Barleyfields Road Uralla – Applicant – T & S

Bower

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:That Council:

1. Approve the Development Application Modification of Consent DA 27-2012-3 subject to the 51 conditions in the report to Council;

2. Approve the Development Application Modification of Consent DA 27-2012-3 including the modified condition 25 being:

25. MODIFIED

Stage A Development Lots

New access crossings are required for proposed Lots 1 to 7, consisting of 4 metre wide gravelled dish crossings, bitumen sealed from the edge of the existing bitumen to the boundary of each proposed development Lot. Further the access handle for Lots 3 and 6 are to be bitumen sealed for its full length. All works are to be constructed to a standard approved by the Director of Infrastructure and Regulation at the expense of the developer.

3. Add an additional requirement to Condition 34 so that it reads as follows:

34. MODIFIED

Stage B Residential Lots – Bus Shelter/Pedestrian Walkway & Firetrail

Provision is to be made for a bus shelter within the development. The type and location is approved by the Director of Infrastructure & Regulation at the expense of the developer, prior to installation.

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Minute No. TRIM

22 AUG 2016 07.08/16

2.15.08.6

Uralla Development Control Plan 2011 Amendment No 4

COUNCIL RESOLUTION:

That Council:

1. Endorse the draft Chapter 17 ‘Barleyfields’ of the Uralla Development Control Plan 2011 for public exhibition for a period of no less than 28 days; and

2. Give the General Manager delegated authority to adopt the Uralla Development Control Plan 2011 as amended if no submissions are received.

DIR

27 September 2016

6.09/16 Reference: 2.20.09.03

Subject: Development Application 8-2016-2 Modification – 13 Stringybark Ridge Road, Invergowrie – Subdivision

Resolution: That Development Application 8-2016-2 being for a staged development consisting of:

a) Stage 1A – Boundary Adjustment,

b) Stage 1 – 3 Large Lot Residential Subdivision, and

c) Stage 2 – 2 Large Lot Residential Subdivision

located on Lot 212 DP 1080856 known as 13 Stringybark Ridge Road, Invergowrie be approved subject to the conditions listed in the report and including the modification to Condition 17 and 19, as listed in the memo released to Councillors and dated 22 September 2016.

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15. AUTHORITY TO AFFIX THE COMMON SEAL There are no authority to affix the common seal.

END OF BUSINESS PAPER


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ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING - Uralla Shire · 2019-02-25 · Reference: 2.20.09.03 Subject:...

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